Topical Tuesday 15 - Michael Vick's Second Chance

In my first Topical Tuesday post I wrote about Michael Vick deserving a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, not just Michael Vick. After signing with the Philadelphia Eagles he began that second chance and he has made the most of the opportunity by staying out of trouble. And while the difference can be seen in his life, it wasn’t until this past Sunday that Vick made a difference on the football field. Visiting his former team, Vick had his best game of the season while the Atlanta Falcons fans greeted him warmly and cheered for him loudly.

Looking back, it seemed like Vick may never get his true second chance and all the bridges he had built in Atlanta between himself and the community had been burned. It was encouraging seeing, though, so many of the fans who had turned their backs on Vick, for good reason, cheering him on, even as a player for the opposing team. Vick’s homecoming provides a perfect example of what it can mean when someone is given a second chance and they run with it.

What can you take away from Vick’s second chance?

Music Monday 15 - Christmas Songs #1

My favorite part about Christmas is the Christmas music. I already wrote a post detailing why I only listen to Christmas music at Christmas time. Now that we are in the full swing of the holiday season, I am listening to Christmas music nonstop. Whether that’s on my iPod or tuning into one of XM’s holiday stations, I am filling my life with Christmas music. For the next three Music Mondays, I’ll be looking at some of my favorite Christmas music. This week I’ll look at my favorite non-religious Christmas songs.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside
I really like “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” because it’s a nice Christmas song about some dude trying to seduce a girl. For some reason, when I was younger, I thought that people didn’t start having sex before marriage until the 80s. Obviously that isn’t true and this song is a perfect example of pre-marital sex pre-MTV. The song was written in 1944 and think it’s hilarious, especially the version with Dean Martin as he drunkenly croons, trying to convince his date to stay a little longer.

Christmas Time is Here
Vince Guaraldi’s score for A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas albums ever. The song “Christmas Time is Here” stirs up so many nostalgic feelings of sitting at home with my family and watching the yearly broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I think about the whole gang dancing on the stage and Linus’ simple telling of the Christmas story. Every time I hear the song I’m transported to a simpler time when all I had to worry about was what kind of cookies to leave for Santa.

Last Christmas
A Wham Christmas song? Yes, please. Back before everyone knew George Michael was gay, he and that other guy were in Wham and they came out with “Last Christmas.” The song came out in 1984 and it’s the perfect blend of 80s synth-pop, heartache and holidays. Really, who doesn’t get excited to listen to “Last Christmas” every year and think about that girl or guy who dumped them during Christmas? I know when I got dumped 6 days before Christmas one year, Wham reminded me that, in order to be saved from tears, I needed to give my heart to someone special.

There are so many great Christmas songs that, if they weren’t associated with Christmas, would be terrible songs. But Christmas is a time of giving so we give a little grace and listen to songs that may not be the best.

What is your favorite non-religious Christmas song?

Freeform Friday 09 - Fresh Start

Sometimes in life we get stuck. Whether that’s from a broken relationship, a sin that we cannot shake or just the general malaise of a busy life, we can get stuck. Doug Fields’ book Fresh Start is about getting unstuck, about finding that fresh start and moving forward. The subtitle to Fields’ book is “God’s Invitation to a Great Life.” And while the book may offer an invitation to a great life, Fields’ latest book doesn’t offer the same greatness.

Fresh Start isn’t a bad book; it’s just not a great book. Fields offers some practical advice for those trapped in any number of ruts and what it might look like to get out of those ruts and find a fresh start. If someone feels trapped in a particular rut, one which Fields addresses, that particular chapter could be helpful. On the whole, though, Fresh Start felt like a collection of sermons turned into chapters for a book. The chapters are good for specific individuals, but the book as a whole feels like it’s trying to hit too wide of an audience to be truly effective.

There was one thought, though, which has continued to stick with me. Before the main push of the book, Fields discusses how any endeavor in spiritual formation includes both the possible and impossible. As humans, we are responsible for what is possible and then we trust in God for the impossible. We do what we can, and then trust that God will do what he does, no matter how impossible that might seem. That thought has encouraged me as I attempt to become more like Christ. It’s freeing to know that I simply need to do what I can, and then trust in God to what he will. It’s a liberating thought that can lead to a fresh start.

Theology Thursday 11 - Green Card for Heaven

I’ve decided to spend some time in Ezra lately. I’m trying to catalyze some spiritual growth in my life and I thought that looking at God’s people, and their attempts to catalyze the rebuilding of the temple, would offer me some encouragement. God doesn’t disappoint, and by the fifth verse of the first chapter he was already speaking to me.

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. –Ezra 1:5

After 70 years God’s people were finally released from their exile and free to go back home to Jerusalem. What they lamented had finally passed. What they longed for had finally come. Yet, apparently, not everyone’s hearts were moved to go back to Jerusalem. There were some who chose to remain in Babylon; they didn’t want to go back home. 70 years is a long time and maybe some of the Hebrews born in Babylon didn’t want to go back to Jerusalem; Babylon was their home and that is where they were going to stay. Perhaps they lost their true identity and forgot they were citizens of a different kingdom.

God used this passage to challenge my own life and my own citizenship. I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God; Jesus’ life, death and resurrection allowed me to get in. Yet I don’t always live as a citizen of the Kingdom; I very often find myself resembling the citizens of this world.

Being a citizen of the Kingdom doesn’t mean that I’m simply waiting to leave this place to fly away to my true home. As a citizen of the Kingdom, I should make this place, this earth more like my true home. As a citizen of the Kingdom I am called to carry its banner everywhere I go, spreading that Kingdom as far and deeply as I possibly can. When my life doesn’t reflect my true citizenship, I’m a poor ambassador. It’s my hope that my life will reflect my true citizenship so I can see, if only in part, God’s Kingdom come and his will done on earth as it is in heaven.

What does it mean for you to be a citizen of the Kingdom?

Leadership Wednesday 13 - Charlie Weiss Out-schemed by Pride

Earlier this week, Charlie Weiss was fired from his position as head coach of Notre Dame football. Weiss had been the head coach for five years and he began his tenure with two promising seasons. After those first two years, though, Weiss was unable to produce a consistently contending team, which was a disappointment to the vast number of Notre Dame fans, alumni and boosters. Weiss’ inability to produce a winner also stood in stark contrast to the overconfidence and bombast he exuded during his first press conference. During that press conference, Weiss promised that his team would never be out-schemed; he would always have a better game plan than the opposing coach and his staff. His mediocre 35-27 record would suggest otherwise.

It’s easy for leaders to puff their chests and exude overconfidence and bombast. There is a thin line between overconfidence and confidence; the line is just as thin between bombast and self-assurance. Leaders need to have a certain level of confidence and self-assurance or else no one is going to follow them. That confidence needs to be kept in check, though, or it can give way to ego and pride. It’s possible that Weiss’ confidence went unchecked and, when all was said and done, his pride and ego couldn’t translate to wins.

As leaders, how can we keep our pride in check? Here are three ways I’ve found to help keep my pride in check.

Give Praise to Others
Most efforts, whether you’re the leader or not, are team efforts. Without those teams, no matter how great of a leader you are, nothing would get accomplished. Acknowledging the importance of others is a great way to keep pride in check. Let the team members themselves know how vital they are, but also share with others how important the team is. When someone wants to praise you, deflect that praise to the team.

Gratefully Accept Praise and Move On
Sometimes in our leadership we do something worthy of praise. In those instances, when others want to praise you and there’s no team, accept the praise and move on. I get to preach at our church with some regularity and sometimes, after I preach, people come up to tell me that I did a good job. I’m very appreciative that they enjoyed the sermon and felt like they got something out of it. When someone compliments me, I genuinely thank them and then move on. The path to pride is paved with praise that we need to let go.

Honestly Critique yourself
There are people who are always willing to dole out praise and people who are always willing to offer criticism. Sometimes criticism can be constructive but other times it is worthless. We need to learn how to discern between the two, but we also need to learn how to honestly critique ourselves. We need to understand how we can be better leaders; we need to honestly examine areas of growth and address them. Along with critiquing ourselves, though, we should also take time to celebrate the growth we’ve seen.

Obviously, this isn’t a conclusive list. However we keep our pride in check, it is an important endeavor. Proverbs 16:8 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before the fall.” If we want to avoid destruction and a fall from grace, we need to avoid pride. True leadership isn’t built upon ego and pride; it’s built upon service and character. Service and character may not translate to wins either, but at least they won’t leave us with any embarrassing sound bites five years down the road.

What helps you keep your pride in check?

Topical Tuesday 14 - Tiger Needs to Take His Mulligan

Last Friday I received a text message saying that Tiger Woods had been involved in a serious car accident. Before much information got out, it seemed like Tiger Woods had been in another car accident like any other. Then more information started to get out about the accident and the story got stranger and stranger. The accident took place in Woods’ driveway, he had hit a fire hydrant, he had run into a neighbor’s tree, there was no alcohol involved and his wife broke the rear window with a golf club in order to pull him out. As the details remained unclear, speculation that the entire incident had its inception in a National Enquirer story about Woods having an affair began to surface. And now there are all sorts of other allegations coming out from other women about illicit affairs they’ve have had with Woods.

Through this entire situation, Woods hasn’t said very much. It wasn’t until 18 hours after the accident that Woods finally released a statement in which he said it was a private matter and it would remain a private matter. Even as one of the most famous people on the planet, Woods is entitled to his privacy and we don’t deserve an explanation. However, if he continues to keep quiet, all the allegations and rampant speculation will continue to grow. People would be willing to forgive Tiger and move on if they knew what they were forgiving him for.

I have been following Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite on Twitter and they are getting ready for their new venture: People of the Second Chance. From what I’ve gleaned so far, POTSC is focused on extending grace and forgiveness and giving people freedom to move on from their mistakes. Obviously Tiger Woods doesn’t need any grace and forgiveness from me and I’m not going to be the one giving him his second chance. The court of public opinion will be handing out that second chance, though, and it will more willingly give that second chance if there is honest confession and contrition. Right now, Woods’ silence is keeping him from any sort of honest confession or contrition and, without those, it’s difficult to start moving onto his second chance.

Tiger Woods is one of the world’s most popular athletes; he can do whatever he wants. I don’t think this situation is going to get any better for him, his family or his image until he addresses these allegations of infidelity. And if the allegations turn out to be true, confession and contrition will be the first steps toward the second chance that he, and everybody else, deserves. It’s never easy to admit when we’re wrong; I know it’s one of my least favorite things to do. When I have mustered enough strength to admit I was wrong, those I have wronged willingly accepted my apology and allowed me to begin living out my second chance. It’s difficult to live out that second chance, though, if we’re unwilling to admit we need it.

Why is it difficult to admit we need a second chance?

Music Monday 14 - Lady GaGa's Christmas Tree

On Saturday I wanted to listen to both Lady GaGa and Christmas music. I tweeted that Lady GaGa should make some Christmas music so I could listen to both at the same time. Some friends told me that Lady GaGa had indeed made a Christmas song and, thanks to my iPhone and a solid 3G connection, I was able to download the song while finishing up dinner at BJs. Not really to anyone’s surprise, though, the song, called “Christmas Tree,” has less to do with Christmas than it does with sex.

I am all for musical artists freely expressing themselves. Music is a great way to express thoughts and ideas, even if those ideas are contrary to my own worldview. I may not agree with everything NWA or 2Pac said, but they gave me insight into an aspect of American society from which suburbia had sheltered me. I am a little disturbed, however, when songs or ideas are taken out of context and warped to fit something else. Lady GaGa can sing about poker faces and disco sticks all she wants, but does she have to hijack Christmas in order to communicate her worldview?

Another example of a song taken out of context comes from the film Watchmen. In that film, Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” was played over a sex scene. The word “hallelujah” literally means to praise Yahweh; it is a very specific word with a very specific intention. The singing of that word seemed completely dissonant with what was happening on the screen. The song itself, however, uses the word “hallelujah” for its own purposes; ignoring the word’s very specific meaning and intention.

Obviously my view on Lady GaGa’s song and on the use of the word “hallelujah” in music and film is shaped by my worldview. I’m a Christian and I am more sensitive to our culture’s use of Christian imagery, holidays and words. As Christians, though, how are we supposed to respond when our larger culture uses aspects of our faith for its own gain? Should we shun anything other than Christian culture? I don’t want to only watch Kirk Cameron movies.

A lot of people have already discussed how Christians should interact with culture and, instead of rejecting the larger culture, Christians should do their best to redeem culture. That doesn’t mean just making Christian knock-offs of popular culture; I can just imagine Christian Ed Hardy shirts that trade bedazzled tigers and snakes for bedazzled doves and angels. Redeeming culture means creating culture that is inspired by a faith in Christ and honoring to God. We shouldn’t necessarily create something Christian intended solely for Christians. We should create something of value influenced and inspired by Christ that engages people from all walks of life.

How do you think Christians should interact with a culture that uses and possibly abuses Christian imagery, holidays and words?

Theology Thursday 10 - James 4:5

4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? -James 4:4-5

The Bible uses many images to describe God: he is our father, he is our groom, he is our helper. I am most uncomfortable with the image of God as our jilted and jealous lover. This passage in James suggests that God jealously longs for us and is afraid of losing our affection to the things of this world. It’s uncomfortable to think that God longs for me and wants to be a in a relationship with me, so much so that he’s worried I’ll turn to something else instead of him. I think I struggle with this image of God because I think of him as some lovelorn teenager, pining over his crush that won’t even look at him.

That’s an inaccurate image of God. God isn’t like Bella, swooning and worrying about whether or not Edward is going to be in class today. God’s jealousy and passion for us goes deeper than some schoolboy crush. When I had a crush on a girl and felt a tinge of jealousy, that jealousy was completely unfounded because there was no expectation that my affection should be returned. God has created everyone, though, so his jealousy is completely founded; God created us and it is only right for him to assume that we should turn our affection toward him.

When I think of a jilted and jealous lover, I think of some sort of stalker creeping around, making mix tapes and sending notes with letters cut out of a magazine. That image is true for some amount of the population but it doesn’t apply to God. God isn’t a creeper; he’s just a creator that grieves when he sees his creation walking away. God is jealous for us because he created us and he wants to be in a relationship with us, which is why he is so willing to pursue us. God’s jealousy is completely justifiable and I’m thankful for it because without that jealousy, without that desire to pursue humanity, we may never have been reconciled to him through Jesus Christ.

How do you feel about God’s jealousy for you?

Leadership Wednesday 12 - Call of Duty

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 came out last week and it has become one of the fastest selling video games ever. The popularity of the game is based on its multiplayer component, where players from all over the world can play together online in competitive matches. I can attest from personal experience that the game is rather addicting and it’s easy to pour a few hours into the game, trying to get as many kills as possible while helping your team win. It is nice to get a team win, however the main focus for most players is on individual statistics; if I can get 20 kills and only 10 deaths, who really cares if my teams loses?

That kind of “me first” attitude is all right in the world of video games; nothing of value hinges on whether or not one team or another loses. In the real world, though, and the world of leadership, that kind of attitude can destroy organizations or, at the very least, hurt the efficacy of a team. It’s so easy to worry about our own productivity and our own future, that we can often put the team on the backburner; the team can become an afterthought to our own personal motives and intentions.

It’s easy to put the team on the backburner because the rewards and accolades for individual success are much greater than those for team success. A player on the worst baseball or basketball team can cash in on a huge contract if he has individual statistics that overshadow the record of the team. As leaders, though, we need to realize that if our teams succeed, then we’ll succeed as well. We don’t lead in order to find personal success, but there’s no greater success than seeing a team we lead succeed and do well. It’s a reward in itself knowing that we provided leadership for a group that went above and beyond, reaching levels of success that we couldn’t have even imagined.

When have you succeeded because your team succeeded?

Topical Tuesday 13 - Leonid Meteor Shower

The Leonid Meteor Shower occurred on Monday night and, depending on where one looked up, there could have been hundreds of meteors flashing across the night sky. According to scientists, the best seat on planet earth to view the shower would have been in Asia. I was encouraged, though, when I heard that the meteors would be viewable from North America as well. So on Monday night, technically early Tuesday morning, my roommate and I bundled up in our Snuggies, went outside and stared up at the heavens.

Living in the suburbs we didn’t actually see any of the meteors. There was way too much city glow to see the few meteors that would have been visible from North America. It was rather relaxing, though, lying on the hood of my truck staring up at the sky. Even though we couldn’t see any meteors, it was a clear night and we could see a number of stars.

Staring at the stars has always been my favorite way of experiencing creation. A lot of people enjoy a walk through a meadow, sitting on the beach as the waves crash upon the shore or going for a hike through the mountains. I enjoy those things, but I best experience creation and God’s greatness through creation while staring at the stars. The magnitude and the bigness of everything related to stars and planets boggles my mind and helps me to reflect on the magnitude and greatness of God.

What aspect of creation helps you to worship God?

Music Monday 13 - Television Show Theme Songs

Television shows used to have the greatest theme songs: light, happy tunes that played over credits and scenes from the show. Beginning a sitcom with a theme song was great. The theme song provided the opportunity to identify the actors and the roles they played. The theme song also showed scenes from older episodes; it was like watching home movies of the characters on the show. The best part about opening with a theme song, though, was the song itself.

Some television theme songs have become iconic. The themes for The Brady Bunch, Friends and Saved by the Bell are immediately recognizable. When I hear that bell go off in the theme for Saved by the Bell, like Pavlov’s dogs, my mouth begins to water as I anticipate the good times I’m about to have with Zack, Screech, Jessie and Mr. Belding. Looking back on Saved by the Bell, everyone wanted to date Kelly Kapowski, but now I think I would have rather had a hands-on principal like Mr. Belding; Mr. Belding really put the “pal” in principal. My principal in high school was distant and aloof; he never once called me “son.” School administrators should be forced to attend a seminar with Dennis Haskins so they can learn how to be better principals. Characters like Mr. Belding stood at the center of Saved by the Bell, but the theme song was almost like another character.

Theme songs today just don’t match up with their counterparts from older sitcoms. The shows themselves are much better, smarter and funnier; but who wouldn’t want to hear a Brady Bunch-like theme song for The Office? The song could play over the opening credits and set up the whole premise for the show, just in case we forgot what we were watching. I have no desire to go back to multi-camera sitcoms with laugh tracks. The new crop of comedies like Community, Modern Family and Scrubs are so much better than Family Ties, Who’s the Boss and According to Jim. However, even though I like today’s sitcoms much better, I miss the theme songs. It would be hilarious, even if for just one episode, 30 Rock used a theme song like Growing Pains and had Alec Baldwin sing a duet with Alan Thicke.

What is your favorite television theme song?

Leadership Wednesday 11 - James 3:1

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. – James 3:1

I know that not every leader is a teacher, but every teacher is a leader.

School teachers are leaders to classrooms full of students.

Sunday school teachers are leaders to young Christians.

Small group leaders lead people in discussions and authentic relationships.

Preachers are leaders of congregations.

When we teach, we’re leaders because we are shaping the minds and actions of those we’re teaching. James understood this influence and warns those who teach to take it seriously because they are held to stricter standards.

I’ve read James 3:1 before but, as I was going over it again, it really stuck out to me or struck something within me. Jesus saved some pretty choice words for the Pharisees who were leading the people astray; I can’t imagine Jesus taking any kinder to a teacher leading people astray today. Strict judgment also seems to wait for teachers who live lives that don’t reflect what they teach. These teachers may not intentionally lead people astray, but eventually their unaligned lives could have an unintended impact. Teachers have a tremendous amount of influence but are also given a tremendous amount of trust. If that trust is ever broken, influence will give way to disillusionment and learners will begin to go astray. Teaching is serious business, which is why James says not many should presume to be teachers.

So here am I, presuming to be a teacher. We know what assuming does; does presuming do the same thing? And if not for you, does it still do it for me? Who am I to presume that I should be teaching anyone? This week alone I’ve led small groups, taught high school and junior high students, and I am planning for a sermon to our church’s main congregation. Who am I to teach that many people?

The answer is that I’m nobody. Nobody at all.

Yet I feel like I’ve been called by God to teach and that calling has been affirmed by a number of strong Christ-followers whom I implicitly trust. That may seem presumptuous but I have faith that it’s not. I have faith that it’s God’s calling, not my presuming. Yet, if I accidentally presume too much, I can always trust in grace.

How presumptuous is it to think that we can teach?

Topical Tuesday 12 - Big Brother Twitter

NFL running back Larry Johnson was released by the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this week. Johnson has been troubled by personal issues before, including throwing a drink in a woman’s face at a club. Earlier this season after a game, Johnson posted a gay slur to his Twitter account along with questions about the competence of his head coach. Johnson was suspended for the second time in a year and was released following the end of the suspension. This story, and others like it, brings to light the issue of organizations monitoring the social networking of their members.

Twitter and other social networking sites provide an opportunity for people to speak their minds. In Larry Johnson’s case, what was spoken got him into trouble. Obviously the Kansas City Chiefs organization and the media monitored what Johnson posted to his Twitter. Should other organizations do the same?

Pete Wilson opened up that discussion on his blog; he asked the question of whether or not churches should monitor their employees’ Twitter accounts and other social networking interactions. A number of people left comments saying that churches shouldn’t have to resort to monitoring their staff’s Twitter accounts. They believed that if the situation has gotten so bad as to require monitoring of Twitter accounts, then there are much deeper issues that need to be addressed. Obviously there need to be healthy working relationships among staff members outside of social networking; those relationships would most likely address any issues before they made it to the Internet. But that doesn’t mean churches and their senior leadership shouldn’t monitor what their staff is tweeting.

As Larry Johnson proved, someone can get into a lot of trouble in 140 characters or less. No matter how great the relationships are, someone employed at a church could have a bad night or a terrible experience during a service, and turn to Twitter to vent. It’s for those moments that churches, or at least senior leadership, should be monitoring the tweets and social networking of their staff. Leaders, especially paid staff, are representatives of the church and what they say, whether audibly or virtually, has an impact on the church’s reputation and image.

Both my immediate supervisor and senior pastor follow me on Twitter. If I said something that cast the church in a bad light, I would expect them to address that with me; especially if we had a good relationship. Sometimes, no matter how good the relationship, though, unexpected tweets pop up, and those need to be monitored and addressed.

Churches shouldn’t monitor every word typed or posted by members of the congregation. Leaders are held to a higher standard, though. Monitoring of tweets isn’t a sign of some dystopian, Orwellian future; it’s part and parcel with being a leader. If we want complete freedom with our 140 characters, then we need to reconsider how much we want to lead.

What do you think? Should churches monitor their paid staff’s interaction on Twitter and other social networking sites?

Music Monday 12 - What Do You Want to Sing Next Sunday?

It’s easy to talk about worship songs we don’t like. I’ve already spent some time talking about those worship songs we love to hate. It’s fun to complain about the songs we don’t like and mostly harmless. It’s also a much better way of releasing frustration than jumping the worship leader in the parking lot or leaving anonymous comment cards, which you make sure are hand-delivered to the pastor. In the end, though, it’s better to talk about the worship songs we do like.

It’s better for us.

It’s more edifying for our friends.

It’s more encouraging to worship leaders.

There is such a wide scope of worship songs, though, so we need to narrow down what worship songs we’re talking about. Someday we might get into everyone’s favorite Keith Green worship songs or our favorite worship songs that only get played because they were on Christian radio. For today, though, let’s come up with our current favorite worship songs; the newer ones we’ll get excited to sing next weekend in church. Here are a few of mine.

Open Up the Sky
“Open up the Sky” is a song written by Jonathan Stockstill. We have been singing this song with our high school group for a few months and it is one of my current favorites. I like how the song sounds, but I am especially moved by the words of the chorus.

Open up the sky
Fall down like rain
We don't want blessings we want You
Open up the sky
Fall down like fire
We don't want anything but You

The chorus is a good reminder that we shouldn’t seek a relationship with God only to receive his blessings. We should just want to be with God for the sake of being with God. I honestly can’t say that I am always solely satisfied with God, independent of his blessings, but the song at least gets me to think about that possibility and strive for it.

Your Love is Strong
“Your Love is Strong” was written by Jon Foreman from Switchfoot. The song is from Foreman’s Spring EP and, upon first listening, doesn’t seem like it would make a good worship song. However, it’s a simple song in that its lyrics are allusions to the teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. The chorus is also simple; it is just the line “Your love is strong” repeated over and over again. In the context of worship, we’re singling that line to God, telling him that his love is strong. But, repeating that phrase over and over again, allows it to sink into our minds and hearts. It’s a simple truth that God’s love is strong, but it’s also a powerful truth. It’s a truth that, if embraced, can change the way we live our lives.

Hosanna
“Hosanna” is one of the ubiquitous Brooke Fraser songs being sung in churches today. Brooke Fraser is a member of Hillsong and Hillsong United and, even though I have a crush on Brooke, that’s not why I picked this song. It’s an amazing song of praise and worship that really beings me into God’s presence. I like the idea of singing the same song to Jesus that the people lining the streets on Palm Sunday sang to Jesus. Hosanna is a cry for salvation and we shout it out to the only one who can save us; we shout out hosanna to God and he will hear us. My favorite part of the song “Hosanna” is the bridge.

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

I like the bridge because it shows us that we can’t really cry out to the God who saves without opening our eyes and acknowledging those around us who need saving. God is the one who saves but, as his followers, he wants to use us to bring the hope and promise of salvation to those in need.


I can’t count the number of worship songs I’ve sung over the course of my life. I probably can’t even count the number of worship songs that I’ve got memorized. Worshipping God through music is one of God’s greatest gifts and blessings to his followers. It allows us to take something so moving and emotional, and direct it toward our heavenly father. Honestly, there are some songs we enjoy singing to our heavenly father more than others. It’s not wrong to like some songs more than others, but it is healthier for us as worshippers and as participants in worship services to focus on the songs we like than on the songs we dislike.

So, currently, what is your favorite worship song?

Theology Thursday 09 - The Possible and The Impossible

I have been reading Fresh Start by Doug Fields. The book focuses on how we can get unstuck from wherever we are and have a fresh start in our relationships with God. One of Fields’ main points is that we are only responsible for the things that we can do. It is impossible for us to change ourselves; that is something only God can do. So, instead of trying to do the impossible and transform our lives, we simply need to do what we can and trust in God’s grace to do the rest. In short, we do what’s possible and then God does the impossible.

I have been thinking a lot about that principle over the past few weeks and how it relates to different aspects of our lives with Christ. I applied that principle to my thinking about social justice. I definitely cannot solve all of the problems in the world or stop every injustice on the planet. I can, however, contribute in ways that are possible for me and trust that God will do something amazing; I do what is possible for me and trust that God will do the impossible. So while supporting two World Vision kids won’t make everything right, it is something that I can do and then trust in God to do the rest.

This principle also has implications for our relationships with Christ and the process of sanctification. It is impossible for me to transform myself; I just can’t do it. I can do all the right things and avoid all the bad things but, in the end, it is up to God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform me. I can’t transform myself but I can cultivate my life to better prepare it for that transformation. That is the value of spiritual disciplines and doing all those “good things;” those practices and actions don’t transform us, but they put us in a much better place to be transformed. It is through a miracle of God’s grace that he takes our small efforts and completely transforms us.

The Christian life is about so much more than just doing good things; it is about encountering unending love and amazing grace.

That love and grace transform us.

That love and grace sanctify us.

That love and grace make us more the people we were created to be.

Love and grace are foundational to a life with Christ and they transform us and make us new. We trust in God to do the impossible through his love and grace. However, we don’t just sit idly by, waiting for love and grace to transform us. We need to live our lives and do something; we need to do what we can and prepare our lives to be transformed. We don’t trust in disciplines and actions to transform us, but we know that they cultivate a life and ready it for transformation. The impossible is transformation. The possible is us preparing ourselves for that transformation.

What “good things” help prepare your life for transformation?

Leadership Wednesday 10 - Fear and Catherine Rohr

Two weeks ago I learned that Catherine Rohr, the founder and CEO of Prison Entrepreneurship Program, resigned from her position. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice banned Rohr from entering prisons after it had learned that she had inappropriate relationships with former inmates. Rohr confessed to inappropriately close relationships with PEP graduates following her divorce in December 2008.

I remember first hearing Rohr’s inspiring story in 2007; I loved hearing about her commitment to the organization, the work she was doing and the leadership principles she implemented. Now, in light of what she’s done, I’m not angry, just saddened by the brokenness of humanity that continues to wreak havoc, in personal lives and organizations. I certainly hope Rohr will continue to grow and that new opportunities will come her way but there will always be some amount of remorse over what could have been.

Mixed in with my sadness, though, is also a tinge of fear. Catherine Rohr didn’t begin PEP with the intention of resigning after a few years because of some indiscretions. No leader ever begins any venture with the intention of failing due to moral failure, yet so many leaders seem to end up in that place. I’m scared that someday I’ll have an affair or do something else and ruin any amount of leadership capital I’ve earned during my life. I don’t know if that kind of fear is healthy or not. I don’t live my life fixated on that terrible possibility, but I also don’t live my life and pretend that something like that could never happen to me.

What do you think? Is it healthy to fear the possibility of a moral failure?

Topical Tuesday 11 - Halloween? Bah Humbug!

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That video is from last Friday’s Today Show where the hosts all dressed up for Halloween as various Star Wars characters. The video is a little long but toward the end the Ewoks, who were allegedly drunk, begin acting out and confirm what Return of the Jedi told us: Ewoks know how to party.

Partying really does seem to be the focus of Halloween these days. I remember when I was younger and the focus for everyone seemed to be on children dressing up and going trick or treating. Now it seems that the focus is on finding the best party to which people can wear their skimpiest and most revealing costume. Obviously I’m no longer a child and I don’t yet have children, so it’s possible that I no longer see the trick or treating aspect because I’m not a part of that world. But, from talking to a number of people, trick or treating seems to be down across the board and adults seem to be claiming Halloween as their own more and more every year.

Really, my disdain for the current trend in Halloween has nothing to do with parties or adults dressing up or women thinking that lingerie is an acceptable costume. When it comes down to it, I just don’t like Halloween that much. I used to really like dressing up and going trick or treating; it was always fun in elementary school to dress up and see what everyone else in the class was dressed up as. That childhood affinity for Halloween has faded as I’ve gotten older though, and now I only look forward to Halloween so I can see it give way to real holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. I feel like the Ebenezer Scrooge of Halloween but I don’t think any ghosts will visit me because Halloween doesn’t have that many redeemable qualities of which I need to be reminded.

I’m actually very excited for Halloween when I have children of my own. I think it will be a lot of fun to get them dressed up and either take them trick or treating or to some harvest festival at a local church. Until that point, though, I’m happy to ignore Halloween like I did this year and treat it as any other day. I’m an adult and Halloween isn’t for me. And if you’re an adult, it’s not really for you either. Give it back to the kids. Bah humbug.

Music Monday 11 - Who Killed the Video Star?

In 1981, Music Television broadcast its first music video: The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star”. Since that time however, almost 30 years ago, video hasn’t killed the radio star. Songs still get played on the radio and, even in a world influenced by Napster and peer-to-peer sharing networks, people still purchase albums, whether on CD or digitally. So while the radio star is still alive and well, the video star is on its last leg and may not make it to MTV’s 30th anniversary. No one is more to blame for the video star’s demise than the channel that once gave it life: MTV. No channel currently plays music videos as a major part of its programming. There are some obscure channels that show videos at odd hours, but nothing like what MTV and VH1 used to be.

If video killed the radio star, then reality shows killed the video star. The Real World premiered in 1992 on MTV, back when MTV still played music videos. It became a hit for MTV and opened the door for reality television as we know it today. In its first few seasons The Real World was a much different show than it is today. Before, instead of throwing crazy and attractive people into a house with too much alcohol, the housemates addressed real life issues like racism and sexuality. During the third season, Pedro Zamora, a gay man living with AIDS, elevated the conversation of AIDS in America as the disease was brought into homes across America. The early success of The Real World has led MTV to abandon music videos and focus most of its programming on reality television shows like The Hills and Fantasy Factory. I’m not necessarily opposed to those shows, but MTV doesn’t stand for Music Television anymore; little of their programming has to do with music.

I still remember what it was like when we first got MTV at my house; I was very excited to finally get to watch MTV in my own home. That excitement was matched every time there was a new music video premiere; I was still excited in 2001 for the premiere of Michael Jackson’s video for “You Rock My World,” a premiere highly touted by MTV. Now, to watch any music video, I have to go online or DVR a random block of music videos at 1:30 in the morning. That is a far cry from the early days of MTV or even the days of VH1 Mega Hits, a channel devoted entirely to music videos that my friends and I would watch for hours and hours, making comments like Beavis and Butthead.

Video didn’t kill the radio star but the video star is dead. MTV once stood as the flag ship for music programming on television but now it has less and less to do with music every year. Music videos were a worthwhile format for close to 20 years but now they seem to be going the way of the cassette. In the new millennium, air-time for music videos has been waning and with it their significance. Thankfully Michael Jackson and Madonna were making videos in the 80s instead of the 2000s or we might not have classic videos like “Billy Jean” or “Like a Prayer.” While I may not be able to turn on MTV right now and watch some music videos, at least I can turn on my computer, watch “Thriller” and remember what it was like to get excited for a music video.

Freeform Friday 08 - This Is It

I saw This Is It today and it brought back a lot of the same feelings I had when I first heard that Michael Jackson had died. Allegedly, Michael Jackson wasn’t the greatest person and may have done some terrible things. In spite of that, though, his music still provided the sound track for my childhood and I still enjoy listening to his music today. This Is It provided me an opportunity to listen to Michael Jackson’s music as I never had before; I never saw MJ in concert and the movie provided a glimpse of that experience for me. As I was talking about the movie with a friend afterwards, we were both saddened by what could have been; had the concerts in London been successful, perhaps we would have had the opportunity to see MJ live ourselves.

I think that was the feeling I experienced most while watching the movie: remorse. It’s difficult to defend feeling remorse over a polarizing figure like Michael Jackson; but it wasn’t necessarily remorse for Michael being gone, but for the music being gone. I can listen to his albums on my iPod, over and over again; I can even download the compilation album for This Is It that has a few new tracks. But, in the end, it won’t ever be the same as listening to a brand new MJ album or hearing his music live in concert. Mostly it’s remorse over what could have been, which I suppose is what remorse is all about.

I’ve felt a lot of remorse in my life, mainly over choices that I’ve seen some of my friends make. It is difficult to see something that could have been, something that could have been great, fade away in the light of consequences from bad decisions. God can redeem those situations and heal the brokenness, but I can never fully forget what could have been and feel some amount of remorse for never seeing that come to fruition.

I suppose we’re all just trying to get back to what could have been, though; trying to get back to what humanity and the whole of creation were supposed to be before sin. We should all feel some level of remorse for the destruction sin has wrought on this world but find hope in the person of Jesus Christ. We may not be what we were supposed to be, but through grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can get closer; we can help get this world closer to what it was supposed to be. And even though we may have remorse for what was lost, we can have hope for what is to come.

Theology Thursday 08 - Change Jesus Believes In

On Tuesday night at youth group I spoke about the woman caught in adultery from John 8. This is a great story, one that I’ve read before and taught before. This time around, though, I was blown away by Jesus’ final words to the woman as she walks away.

Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

When I’ve read this passage before, I have been moved by many different aspects. I often thought about Jesus’ compassion, I’ve seen myself as the Pharisees, I have pondered my own sins and I have tried to figure out what exactly Jesus was writing in the dirt. But, as I was studying the passage this week, I was moved by Jesus’ belief that the woman could change.

We don’t really know what happens to this woman; there are some Christian traditions that have her following James to Spain and living out her life there. After Jesus tells her to leave her life of sin, we don’t really know if she ever did. But really, that isn’t the important part of the story. The part that is important for us is that Jesus believed the woman could change; he believed that she could leave her life of sin behind and start a new life. And Jesus believes the same thing about us.

Jesus believes that we can change, that we can leave our old lives behind and begin living the eternal life he died to give us. Sometimes it seems that we may never change, that we’ll continue stumbling around in the darkness, holding onto the same pet sins we always have. That isn’t the life we were intended for; we were intended for something so much more and Jesus believes we can live that way. Jesus believes we can change. Jesus doesn’t condemn us for our sins or our past, but he asks us to change and move beyond them.

Obviously, we don’t change on our own; we’re empowered by the Holy Spirit to grow and change within the context of authentic relationships with other people. It is impossible for us to change ourselves, but we do what we can, and then let God handle the impossible. So we just trust that Jesus really believes that we can change, take encouragement in that and then set out to change our patterns, relying on God for strength and others for support. Because even if we sometimes have trouble believing that we can change, Jesus doesn’t; he believes in us and that’s a good place to start.

Topical Tuesday 10 - Britney Spears & the Man in the Mirror

Earlier this year I started receiving Us Weekly. I never paid to get Us Weekly and none of my friends have confessed to getting me the subscription. I thought that it might be one of those four-week subscriptions, but when it showed up on week five that theory went out the window. So, for the past few months, I have been able to see a new cover story every week about the newest gossip for some celebrity or semi-celebrity. I’m not that fascinated with celebrities or the stories surrounding their lives, especially when it comes to the Gosselins. Jon and Kate were on the cover for five or six weeks straight and I didn’t really care; though I’d still like to adopt Aaden because he’s an awesome kid and I’d be a much better father than Jon, mostly because I don’t wear Ed Hardy. The Gosselins didn’t make the cover of Us Weekly this week but America’s sweetheart, Britney Spears, and her new man did.

According to the cover of Us Weekly, Britney Spears has a new man in her life. I have managed to avoid the article itself but the headlines on the cover mention a new love, a sexy weekend in Mexico and some serious conversations. The cover also said that this man is the one man who has never betrayed Britney. I’ve been staring at the cover for three days now and I can’t stop thinking about that sentence: “the one man who has never betrayed Britney.” I think I’m consumed by that sentence because it presumes that Britney is the victim, that she didn’t do anything to bring those difficult times upon herself. She is the one who chose to marry Kevin Federline and she is also the one who allowed men like Adnan Ghalib into her life. So while there may have been some people in her life who took advantage of her, which is wrong, she’s not a completely innocent victim; she made choices and suffered the consequences of those choices.

One of the lessons my parents taught me, time and time again, was that of personal responsibility. They taught me that I am personally responsible for my actions; no one else is to blame for the choices I make. Britney Spears made choices and has had to deal with the consequences; she probably has taken complete responsibility for them, but Us Weekly seems to be pushing them off on anyone else but her. And while we may never be on the cover of Us Weekly (I hope I’m never on the cover of a gossip magazine), like Britney we have to take responsibility for our own actions. We’re surrounded by a culture that looks to blame anyone else for our choices; we avoid personal responsibility like the plague or even the swine flu. We don’t want to accept the consequences that stem from the choices we make so we blame others for those choices. Accepting personal responsibility for our actions, though, is a huge step toward being who God wants us to be.

If we can’t take personal responsibility for our actions, we’re never going to really look at ourselves. We’ll always be focused on those around us, trying to figure out how we can blame them for our faults and failings; blaming other people for our faults keeps us from addressing them. If we don’t acknowledge our own faults and growing edges, then we’re never going to do anything to better ourselves; we’re never going to create space for the Holy Spirit to grow and work within us. We’ll be stunted individuals who are still trying to make excuses for why our hand is in the cookie jar. We’ll never experience the freedom that comes from acknowledging our weaknesses and growing beyond them; the freedom that comes from taking personal responsibility for the wrong things we’ve done and never doing them again.

God created us to be open, honest individuals; something that was much easier in the Garden before the Fall. It’s easy to be open and honest when there isn’t any sin or brokenness. In spite of the Fall and the personal brokenness it has wrought in our lives, we should still strive to be open and honest, which includes taking responsibility for our actions. It’s true that terrible things can happen and there are situations when we are nothing but innocent victims. But for all the other situations, when we’re tempted to play the victim and blame someone else, we need to start with the person in the mirror and ask him or her to make a change. When we do that, we’re liberated to live more in tune with how God created us, acknowledging our flaws but always pressing forward and moving beyond them.

What value do you see in taking personal responsibility for your actions?

Music Monday 10 - John Mayer, Me & 2003

I was driving home last night and I decided to turn on an album that I hadn’t listened to for a while. It was one of those warm California nights when you can drive with the windows down and it couldn’t be any more perfect. The album I chose for that perfect drive home was Heavier Things by John Mayer. It had been a while since I listened to the album but, as soon as it started, so many different memories came to mind. It’s amazing how specific songs or albums can trigger our memories and take us back to a specific moment or season in life. It is said that our sense of smell has the strongest ability to recall memories, but driving home I couldn’t help but remember that album and all the meaning tied up with it.

Heavier Things was released on September 9, 2003, a few weeks before I would get my first girlfriend. So much of that relationship revolved around John Mayer and his music. That summer we had gone to see John Mayer in concert and at the concert we realized that there was something more going on between the two of us. Songs from Mayer’s first album, Room for Squares, and Heavier Things provided the soundtrack for our relationship. I clearly remember conversations about songs like “Why Georgia,” “Something’s Missing,” and “Split-Screen Sadness.” And, as I drove home last night, those conversations, thoughts and memories all came flooding back.

After we broke up, well after I got dumped, it was really hard to listen to John Mayer. For a few months I wouldn’t listen to his music because it was filled with too many memories and too much meaning. Eventually I got over that and started listening to John Mayer’s music again; time had muted those memories and their meaning. I still have the memories but they just don’t carry as much meaning as they used too. I don’t look back longingly on those memories; I just look back on them as a season of my life that has shaped who I am today. I like how music not only reminds us of who we were during a season, but it can also show us how far we’ve really come and how much we’ve grown. Now, as I get ready to marry my fiancée, I can look back across the soundtrack of our relationship: Michael Buble, Wicked and Tyrone Wells. Looking at that soundtrack I remember where we’ve been, how we’ve grown together and how much I look forward to adding more tracks to our soundtrack as we begin our life together.

What music stirs up old memories for you?

Music Monday 09 - Wedding Ceremony Songs

On Friday all the interested parties met to makes plans for my upcoming wedding. It was a good meeting and we talked about the wedding and a lot of important factors like date and size. It was fun to talk about the wedding and everything that goes into a wedding. I never sat and planned out my wedding as a little boy; I was too busy having He-Man fight my Ninja Turtles. But, after sitting and talking about the wedding, it is a fun process to think about what that day might look like. The issue of music was brought up and, having thought about music before, I thought that I’d just pick a playlist and tell whatever DJ to play those songs. Apparently I have a narrow view of what music at a wedding means, though, because others seemed far more concerned with music during the ceremony. I hadn’t really thought about music during the ceremony, apart from playing the music from the throne room scene at the end of the original Star Wars as my new wife and I walked back down the aisle. (That idea has since been nixed and I’m just starting to get over it). But what about music during the ceremony?

I’ve been to a lot of weddings and heard music done in different ways. At a lot of weddings the music during the ceremony was played off an iPod or some other recording. The couple picked different music to be played before the ceremony as the family was being seated, as bridesmaids walked down the aisle and as the bride walked down the aisle. Most of these songs are usually some classical composition that no one can identify yet everyone knows. That’s not a bad way to do music. If the right music is selected, it can be classy and not that much can go wrong, unless someone doesn’t know how to push “Play.”

I’ve also been to weddings that had live music during the ceremony. At my sister’s wedding there was a full band playing the music during the ceremony. My sister and her husband sat down with the band as they were planning the wedding and chose all the songs for the ceremony. If I was leading a band during a wedding ceremony, I would be tempted to Rickroll the bride and play “Never Gonna Give You Up” as she walked down the aisle. I was also in a wedding that had a live string quartet playing all the music before and during the ceremony. That was super classy and it was fun to watch everyone’s bows moving in synchronization. Honestly, though, I don’t know if I’m that classy. I’m not really a quartet of strings guy, I’m much more a quartet of banjo, spoons, cider jug and washboard.

I’ve been to plenty of weddings but I obviously don’t know everything that is out there. So, if you have any suggestions for how to do music during a ceremony, please share them with me. You can suggest whatever you want but, if it involves country music in any way, know that Rascal Flats and Keith Urban will not be making any appearances at my wedding. Carrie Underwood can make an appearance, but only if it’s an actual physical appearance. And you can suggest something like the YouTube video that The Office copied, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to play a Chris Brown song at a wedding.

What have you heard at weddings as far as music during the ceremony and how did you like it?

Freeform Friday 08 - Cupcake Cars

Here is a video I saw from the Today Show.

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For the reasonable price of $25,000 you can be the first in your neighborhood to own your very own cupcake car. $25,000? I spent less money on my truck, an actual vehicle that is street legal. Who would spend $25,000 on a cupcake car? Who sits around watching the Today Show with $25,000 burning a hole in their pocket? Apparently I am not the target market for the cupcake car; if I were, I would be ordering one right now instead of complaining about people who buy them.

That’s really all this is: a complaint. It’s not even a complaint for some holier-than-thou reason; it’s a complaint because I don’t have $25,000 to spend on a cupcake car. It would be easy to complain that $25,000 cupcake cars may be one of the reasons other countries aren’t terribly fond of America. It would also be easy to complain about the existence of a $25,000 cupcake car when a sixth of the world’s population would just like a normal cupcake to help appease their hunger. I could complain about the cupcake car using those lenses but that would just come from a false sense of righteousness; when I first look at the cupcake car, I’m not upset about the world’s hungry, I’m upset because I want one and I can’t have it.

I hate that initial feeling, the envy and greed that poor over me when I see something I want yet don’t have the means to attain. I don’t even know what I would do with a cupcake car but the fact that someone could spend $25,000 on one makes me envious and makes me want one. I know that it’s unreasonable, but my immediate gut reaction is to want what I can’t have. Only after I run through a gamut of selfish emotions, do I try to cover up my selfishness with self-righteous reasons for being upset about the cupcake car.

Maybe it is progress that I can even think beyond my own selfish reasons for why something like the cupcake car upsets me. In the past I would have been blinded by envy and sulked the entire day because I had to travel like a normal person. Now, I’m blinded by envy for a few minutes until I think of a better, more acceptable reason to be upset. I truly do think it’s terrible that anyone would invest $25,000 in something so useless while a billion people don’t have enough to eat. I only hope, though, that someday my first response will be some sort of holy discontent, not the wholly envious response I have right now.

How do you cover up your responses with more socially acceptable ones?

Leadership Wednesday 09 - Think Before You Tweet

"The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is little hope invested in [Donovan] McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve."

Over six years ago, Rush Limbaugh shared those thoughts working as a first-year analyst for ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. A week after the broadcast, Limbaugh had already resigned from the show, responding to backlash for his racially insensitive comments. This past week those comments have once again come back to haunt Limbaugh. Limbaugh was part of a group bidding to purchase the NFL’s St. Louis Rams. With Limbaugh as the face of the group, NFL players began saying that they wouldn’t sign with the Rams because they wouldn’t want to play for Limbaugh and other owners even said that they wouldn’t approve the sale to a group with Limbaugh as a member. The backlash to Limbaugh’s involvement forced the group to push Limbaugh out so they could continue forward with their bid.

Whether or not this was all a publicity stunt may never be known, but it does highlight an important lesson for leaders: what we say impacts how people view us, in the present and in the future. If we are in leadership, whether that’s in ministry, the corporate world or the social sector, what we say will influence how we impact people. Rush Limbaugh said something six years ago and those words are still casting a shadow on his life today. And with the advent of the Internet and our information age, what we say can potentially be preserved forever.

In light of that reality, as leaders, we need to not only think before we speak, but we need to think before we write, blog, tweet and post on someone’s wall. Even if we’re not speaking directly to someone, the words and thoughts we share through various channels can have an impact. In order to control that impact and have the kind of influence we desire, we need to be mindful of everything we say and communicate. That need is very clear when it comes to something like a blog, where I am openly sharing my thoughts with the world. But it’s less clear when it comes to Facebook or Twitter, where what seems like a harmless joke between friends gets committed to the public discourse and we’re left explaining ourselves to someone who doesn’t get the joke.

The wired world has opened us up to all new means of sharing our thoughts and ideas. And, as leaders, we should not only be sharing our ideas but benefitting from the wealth of knowledge and information out there. As we share thoughts and ideas, though, we need to be wary of exactly what we’re sharing and whether or not it could have some unforeseen impact, now or in the future. This reality forces us to be more thoughtful about what we share and the impact we’re really looking to make. If every leader puts more thought into what he or she has to say, though, we’ll all benefit from thoughts and ideas that have been better scrutinized and more refined to make a greater impact.

How do you filter the thoughts you share on the Internet?

Topical Tuesday 09 - Obama's Prize

Last week a spirited debate broke out online about whether or not President Obama deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Facebook status updates were filled with people asking what Obama had done to deserve the award while others defended Obama, suggesting that he has done more than enough in his first nine months as President to warrant the award. Someone on Facebook even challenged all naysayers by saying, “if any one of you deserve it more, please list your qualifications.” A friend made the good point that no one really cared about the Nobel Peace Prize before and whether or not past recipients were worthy, so why should everyone all of a sudden take an interest. As Americans, we took interest because the award was given to our sitting President; and whether you agree with it or not, it’s an historical event, and one that bodes well for America’s reputation in Europe and around the world.

Beyond the partisan schism that surrounds Obama at home, other nations around the world and their leaders like Obama, at least they like him more than George W. Bush. Other nations like Obama and that fact has helped heal America’s reputation around the world. Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is just another sign of Obama bolstering America’s reputation in the international community. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, a committee selected by the Norwegian parliament, chooses who wins the Nobel Peace Prize. So that means a committee with close ties to a European parliament chose the American President to win a distinguished award. It’s true, he may or may not have deserved it, but I think that’s a win for America’s international reputation.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. Five Norwegians pick who wins the award and it’s entirely up to them to select who they want. It’s their prerogative to choose whomever they want, whether that’s Obama for what he has done and will hopefully do or Al Gore for highlighting the issue of global warming. It’s a prestigious award given by a small council that doesn’t really have to answer to anybody but the Norwegian parliament. So, if you’re really that concerned with who wins the Nobel Peace Prize, become a Norwegian citizen and get elected to the parliament so you can choose who sits on the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Music Monday 08 - Old Man Music

For years I told my youth pastor that he was old. I affectionately called him old man and I still do to this day. However, recently I began having the unnerving experience of our high school students calling me old. When I was calling my youth pastor old he was 40; he was an old man. I’m not even 30 yet so I can’t be an old man, can I? Looking at some of my recent musical purchases, I just might be.

The last two albums I purchased were Your Songs by Harry Connick, Jr. and Crazy Love by Michael Bublé. Look at all these crazy kids nowadays with their Lady GaGas and their Miley Cyruses and their Black Eyed Peas and here I am, listening to old-fashioned crooners singing standards like “Cry Me a River,” “Mona Lisa,” and “Some Enchanted Evening.” Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong era, musically speaking. I’d never want to give up the Internet, HD TV and Twitter, but I wouldn’t mind experiencing the music of a different time. I would have loved to get dressed up in a suit and go to a show in Vegas with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. I also would have loved to sit in a smoky club and listen to Chet Baker or Louis Armstrong blow on their trumpets and play some jazz.

Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of modern music. It’s amazing to hear what artists can do these days with electronic production and digital effects. Explosions in the Sky is an amazing band and all they play is electronic, instrumental music. And on Muse’s latest album, they combine their brand of rock with original classical compositions. I like new music, but there is something comfortable about picking up a CD of standards and immediately knowing most of the songs. The key for artists like Frank, Dean, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick, Jr. and Michael Bublé is in the arrangements, trying to come up with an arrangement that makes an old song sound fresh and new. I enjoy the experience of hearing a new arrangement; I enjoy hearing a song I know by heart, but in a brand new way. It’s not often that an old song affords a new listening experience, but that’s exactly what happens when talented singers tackle classic standards.

I’m not an old man, regardless of what my musical tastes say about me. When it comes down to it, some things aren’t old, they’re just classic. No one would say that a fully restored 1966 Mustang is old; it’s a classic. The same can be said for classic standards, whether they’re played with a subdued jazz trio or the fullness of a big band. Long after “Poker Face” has been forgotten, people will still be coming up with new arrangements for songs like “Save the Last Dance for Me” and “I’ve Got the World on a String.” And if finding comfort in that reality makes me old, then I’d better head to Denny’s to get my senior discount.

What standard and whose arrangement is your favorite?

Freeform Friday 07 - Twitter Envy

I enjoy Twitter. I’ve been on Twitter for over 6 months and I enjoy what it’s added to my life. For me, Twitter isn’t so much about informing the virtual world that I’m standing in line at Starbucks but I find value in getting different information and insight from those I follow. I also find value in staying connected with friends and catching up on what they’re doing and what they’re thinking about. Twitter has tremendous value for disseminating information and that information should educate, entertain or inspire. Sometimes, however, the information that comes through the Twitterverse is inspiring in the wrong way. Sometimes the tweets of those I follow inspire envy deep within my heart and soul.

Twitter makes me envious when a number of those I follow are at the same place that I want to be. This week, for example, a number of those I follow are at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. Catalyst’s a leadership conference for young leaders and I had the opportunity to go the past two years. I wasn’t able to go this year and, instead of Catalyst just falling off my radar, Twitter is constantly reminding me that I’m missing out.

I’m not experiencing the worship.

I’m not listening to the speakers.

I’m not twittering every nugget of wisdom that comes from the main stage.

Basically Twitter has become a giant reminder that they are there and I am not. Truly, envy is the cousin of Iago’s green-eyed monster.

I know I should be a better person and not succumb to my Twitter envy but I can’t help it, or I don’t want to help it. Sure, it’s nice for my friends to experience the Catalyst Conference; it is something that I have gotten to experience twice before. But just because it’s nice for them, doesn’t make me want to be there any less. Perhaps that’s another use of Twitter, to live vicariously through those I follow, to experience what they’re experiencing when I don’t have the opportunity. And when my friends are experiencing something I would like to do, I can hold onto a little envy and wish them well. But when my friends are experiencing something I wouldn’t like to do, I can be thankful that it’s them instead of me.

Twitter envy is a brand new experience in my life and I’m just starting to learn how to deal with it. People will always be twittering about what they’re doing and I have to take those tweets in stride. When someone is twittering about being at a concert that I want to attend or a conference I wish I was at, I should be thankful that they can share images and thoughts to which I otherwise wouldn’t have access. But when someone is twittering about falling asleep in class or sitting in traffic, I can be thankful that I’m done with school and have a 3-minute commute to work. Envy is an ugly thing especially when it is inspired by 140 characters or less.

What causes you to envy others?

Theology Thursday 07 - Joyful Service

I went to a high school choir performance this evening. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I was definitely blown away by the talent of some of the students. The most moving part of the evening, though, was the performance by one of the choirs that had some physically and mentally disabled students. While I was listening to those students using their gifts and talents, I couldn’t help but smile and enjoy their performance. It wasn’t about technical mastery or being perfectly in tune, it was about simply enjoying the performance and the gifts and talents God had given each person in that choir.

God has given each of us gifts and talents to use for his kingdom and purposes. We are called to joyfully serve our God; this week in our church’s study we’re looking at the spiritual habit of joyful service. I have always thought, though, that the joy in service was supposed to be ours; we are the ones who are supposed to find joy when we serve God. I still believe that’s true but, after listening to that choir tonight, I couldn’t help but think about the joy our service brings to God.

God created each of us with gifts and talents and, when we use those talents as he intended, it must bring him joy. God created everything for a purpose and, when that purpose is fulfilled, it brings him joy.

When the wind blows, it brings God joy.

When the planets revolve around the sun, they bring God joy.

When whales swim and sing with each other, they bring God joy.

When we use our gifts and talents as God intended, we bring God joy.

So we should definitely use our gifts joyfully; we should be grateful for the service that God allows us to do. But, as an added incentive, we should think about the joy it brings to God when we serve him. God loves us and delights in us; we can bring him joy by joyfully serving him.

Leadership Wednesday 08 - Purposeless Service

I have always been fascinated by space shuttle launches. I have never been to one live and, with the space shuttle program shutting down next year, I may never have that opportunity. I have watched a number of the launches on television and, even through that medium, it is still a powerful experience. It is amazing to see the power and force of the rockets as they initially engage, hurtling a 75 ton shuttle into space against all the forces of gravity. As the shuttle lifts off, it seems as if the rockets might keep going forever; even if they detached from the shuttle, the rockets just might continue into space, forever burning and reaching brand new heights. But, inevitably, the rockets expend their fuel and come crashing back down to earth. This is called burnout and it is something with which we are far too familiar.

I was studying a devotional guide for Romans 12:1-13. One of the questions in the guide was “What are reasons people lose excitement and vision for using their gifts?” Basically, why do people burnout? And the verse that stuck out to me was Romans 12:9.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

I’ve read that verse before but, within the context of the question, it really stuck out to me. One of the reasons that I’ve lost excitement for using my gifts for God is that I have clung to what it is evil and hated what is good.

Sin can have a large impact on whether or not we burnout. Clinging to what is evil and hating what is good eventually pulls us away from God. Whether it’s the slow burn of wandering away over time or the quick burn of jumping into sin, burnout comes when we are distant from God. This can happen as a result of sin or from getting consumed by the busyness of life. Burnout even happens when we are consumed by the work we’re doing for God; the implementation of our gifts can often pull us ways from the one who gave them to us. However we’re pulled away, though, distance from God will lead us to burnout; it’s inevitable.

If God isn’t at the center of our lives, then we’ve lost the purpose for our service. If our desire for God is fading, then our desire to serve him is going to fade as well. If we want to faithfully and effectively serve God, then he needs to stay at the center of our lives, he needs to maintain primacy. When God remains at the center of our lives we better understand who it is we’re serving and why we serve. Without that purpose, our service becomes empty; our rocket is moving without any fuel. And when we run out of whatever reserves we have, we’ll come crashing back down to earth. Truly, purposeless service is a dangerous prospect, one we should avoid at all costs.

So how do we avoid service burnout? How can we ensure that our service always has purpose? Jesus said it best in John 15: stay connected.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

We have to learn how to remain in Jesus; we have to figure out what it means for us to abide in Jesus. We need to draw near to him and stay there. With Christ at the center, our service will keep its purpose. We’ll be able to continually use our gifts to serve God’s kingdom, avoiding burnout because we know the source who infinitely replenishes us.

How do you remain in Jesus on a daily basis?

Topical Tuesday 08 - Chicago's Olympics

Chicago missed out on an opportunity to host the Summer Olympics in 2016. The Windy City was eliminated in the first round of voting. The 2016 Olympics eventually went to Rio de Janeiro where they can fall under the watchful eye of “Offsetting Penalties Jesus.” Some people were upset that Chicago lost out on its bid, especially after President Obama and Oprah Winfrey teamed up to make the case for Chicago. Others have actually celebrated Chicago losing its bid. Some members of the GOP view Chicago’s loss as a defeat for President Obama since he took such a proactive position in support of the city.

I didn’t really care about Chicago hosting the 2016 Olympics. It would have been easier for me to attend the Olympics if they were in Chicago and there would have been less of a time difference as far as television coverage is concerned, but that’s about it. I wasn’t that excited about the Olympics being in Chicago and I don’t know if anyone in Chicago was that excited over the prospect either. The Olympics do generate a lot of revenue for a city but everything also comes to a standstill for seven years as the city prepares to host the Olympics. That kind of commitment for a city takes an even greater commitment from its citizens and a great level of volunteerism.

A sports commentator suggested that Americans lack the commitment necessary to pull off an Olympics and that Americans don’t have the appropriate level of volunteerism. Sadly, I think he may be right. The Olympics would have meant something for Chicago and America, but I think that they’ll mean much more for Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. The Olympics provide an opportunity for people to band together and work toward a common goal. The community-focused culture of Latin America is much more suited to that task than the individual-focused culture of the United States. It is much easier to imagine citizens of Rio de Janeiro making personal sacrifices for the Olympics than any citizen from any American city, not just Chicago.

The Olympics didn’t make it to Chicago and, maybe deep down inside, that’s the way we all wanted it. Sure, America won’t get the benefits of hosting the summer games within our borders, but we also won’t have to make any of the sacrifices over the course of seven years. Life will continue as normal and when 2016 does roll around, we’ll happily watch the opening ceremonies from Rio de Janeiro, thankful that the thousands of people there aren’t clogging up our streets here or passing through our local airports on the way to O’Hare.

Music Monday 07 - Too Early for Christmas Music

Someone I follow I Twitter posted the picture to the right. He saw a Santa Claus decoration in Target and couldn’t believe it. It is way too early to see Christmas decorations; we haven’t even made it to Halloween and, in Southern California, the weather just dipped below 80 degrees in the past few days. Little kids are already thinking about Christmas, planning out their Christmas lists and trying to decide whether or not a pony or a puppy should be number one on those lists. The rest of us, however, need to realize that there is a lot of time between now and Christmas.

We don’t need to start buying any Christmas decorations.

We don’t need to start planning how we’re going to wrap all of our presents.

We don’t need to start listening to Christmas music.

A lot of people listen to Christmas music year-round; I don’t understand that practice. Why would someone want to listen to “White Christmas” in the middle of July? It’s not white. It’s not Christmas. It’s 100 degrees outside. “Frosty the Snowman” wasn’t made for August temperatures. He would melt before the magical top hat had a chance to bring him to life and his eyes of coal would catch fire from the heat. American Christmas classics are intricately tied to a specific time of year. Even though it doesn’t snow in Southern California, it’s still cooler outside and feels like Christmas at Christmas time; American Christmas music was written for that time and season.

Strictly listening to Christmas music at Christmas time isn’t something that I just think about, it’s something I believe in and act upon. I have a strict rule when it comes to Christmas music: I only start listening to Christmas music after Thanksgiving dinner and I stop listening to Christmas music on December 26. That’s the window I give myself because Christmas music should be listened to at Christmas time. So, in that window, I pack as much Christmas music as I possibly can; I create grooves in my iPod’s hard drive in December because I listen to so much Christmas music.

Christmas music should be listened to at Christmas time. No one listens to the happy birthday song when it’s not someone’s birthday; there aren’t any really cool remixes that you’d want to listen to while working. No one rolls down the street listening to “The Star-Spangled Banner;” unless it’s Marvin Gaye’s version from the 1983 NBA All Star Game. And no one should ever listen to LFO because they’re the worst group ever; not even if a tidal wave of nostalgia pours out when listening to “Summer Girls.” Some music was written for a specific day, time, occasion, or season and we should leave that music in its season of origin. Forcing American Christmas classics into any other time of the year doesn’t work; we should have the self-control necessary to only listen to Christmas music at Christmas time.

Just because Santa’s starting to pop up at Target doesn’t mean we need to start listening to Christmas music. Christmas music should be listened to at Christmas time and Christmas time alone. So put away your Jingle Dogs album for another month and a half. Skip the Chipmunks singing “Christmas Time is Here” if it pops up when your iPod is on shuffle. And, even if it’s cold outside and you see Santa Claus at Target, don’t buy the A Charlie Brown Christmas album and start listening to it; wait and keep the temptation out of your life. It’s called “Christmas music” for a reason; give it the opportunity to fulfill its purpose.

When do you start listening to Christmas music?

Theology Thursday 06 - Questions on Grace

I’m at a bit of a loss. Not for words, some might say that’s impossible. I’m at a bit of a loss when it comes to grace. I understand that we are saved by grace; that there is nothing I can do to earn the eternal life, which I get to live right now. Paul says in Ephesians:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

I understand the saving nature of grace but I don’t necessarily know what embracing that grace looks like on a day-to-day basis. What does it mean to practically live under grace?

How should grace affect my work?

How should grace affect my relationships?

How should grace affect my life with God?

I don’t know what grace looks like when put into practice. All I can think about when looking at practically applying grace is what Paul says in Romans:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

I don’t think that’s what it means to practically live under grace; embracing sin so we can better embrace grace. But again, I’m not entirely sure what it does look like to live under grace.

I’m really just looking to hear what you have to say and stir up a bit of a conversation. You can leave comments below, even if you don’t have a Google account. Just post your comment as an anonymous user and you can just leave your name if you’d like.

What does it mean to live under God’s grace on a day-to-day basis?

Leadership Wednesday 07 - The Youth Pastor Uniform: Cargo Shorts, Bad Facial Hair and Prideful Posturing

The National Youth Workers Convention took place this past weekend in Los Angeles and I wasn’t able to attend. We had planned on taking some of our volunteers to the convention but, with the economy the way it is, we thought we’d sit out this year since we had been three years in a row. Following people on Twitter who were at the convention, however, made me wish we had gone and taken our staff. Or, at least, I wish I would have gone down to the convention center and snuck in to hear some speakers and hang out with the Hume Lake crew. I really like the National Youth Workers Convention; it’s a great opportunity to get away and recharge with other people who understand why we do student ministry. A few things can always be counted on at the convention:

Cargo shorts.

Bad facial hair.

The question, “How big is your group?”

That question inevitably pops up. It is a valid question because it helps people understand the issues and struggles that we’re facing. I have worked with a group of 12 and a group of 300, each offers its own pros and cons, neither is better than the other. Even though it’s a valid question, so much of the focus when youth pastors gather is on the numbers; there is always an underlying defensiveness that rears its head through prideful posturing.

I have been part of this problem. I have sat in the networking meetings and proudly touted working with a group of 150. I have also sat in those same meetings and talked about working with a group of 50, silently hoping that another group would be smaller. I don’t know where this prideful posturing comes from but, in a room of youth pastors, it is tangible; it hangs like a thick fog that nobody wants to acknowledge. That posturing keeps us from really communicating and sharing insight because we’re so concerned with the size of our groups or the length of our tenure or the scope of our positions.

We’re so busy maintaining a prideful posture that we can’t let down our guard enough to really learn from another youth pastor.

We’re so busy maintaining a prideful posture that we can’t really connect and share the burdens of joys of this thing we all do.

We’re so busy maintaining a prideful posture that we can’t see beyond our own ministries and the greater work of the kingdom in which we all participate.

Again, I’m not pointing fingers because I have participated in and perpetuated all of these things. Maybe your experience has been different, but there always seems to be these underlying issues whenever youth pastors get together. Really, I’m writing about them because I don’t know what to do and I thought that someone may have some suggestions. Perhaps others have found something that breaks the prideful posturing and opens people to truly connect with others involved in ministry.

I don’t have the answers but one thing that has seemed to work for me is simply sharing a meal. It is amazing how the walls come down when we break bread together or, in this case, fish tacos. I have had lunch with another local youth pastor a few times and I can start to feel a relationship growing out of those lunches. It helps that we know about each other’s ministries; we’re pretty much beyond the “How big is your group?” question. But instead of a forced environment like a youth pastors’ network or a dinner with other youth pastors at summer camp, just sharing a meal one-on-one feels more organic. Every youth pastor is connected because of their ministry. If we truly want to be a support for each other, we need to develop relationships that aren’t founded on ministry but on time spent together.

That is only one possible solution; I’m still in the process of seeing how it plays out. I don’t like the awkward feeling I have around other youth pastors, like we’re silently competing against each other. We all know that we’re competing against each other but we can’t necessarily identify the game or why we’re playing. Yet, in spite of that lack of clarity, we all still want to win. I hope that I can stop playing the game but my ability to get out probably has a lot to do with examining my own prideful posture. I need to work on quieting the voice that hopes someone at the table has a smaller group than I do. Because if I can’t change myself, why should I expect anybody else to change?

What have you found that works to break down the walls among people from different ministries?