Music Monday 03 - Break-Up Music

Getting dumped sucks. I remember the first time I got dumped; things were not going well in the months that followed. After getting dumped it takes some time to heal, to get beyond the wounds and be all right again. I needed friends with whom I could hang out and I needed family members to offer me encouragement; in reality, I needed a lot. One of the most important things I needed, though, was an outlet for my emotions. Any time we’re facing any sort of emotional rush, whether that be sadness, anger, loss or heartache, we need an outlet for those emotions. Music can provide that outlet.

Music can have a powerful affect on our emotions. Music can dictate our emotions; it can influence how we feel. Conversely, our emotions can dictate the kind of music to which we listen. Music can provide the release we need when our emotions are welling up within us; music provides an outlet for joyful expressions as well as painful ones. Music is powerful but it shouldn’t replace actual interaction with people. When facing emotional turmoil we need to seek out other people, but music provides another way to express our emotions in addition to relationships. When I got dumped and I was angry, Linkin Park became that expression for me.

I’m kind of a sissy and I don’t like that much hard music. Linkin Park is probably one of the hardest bands I like, which isn’t saying very much; I don’t really need any Pantera, ICP or Slipknot. Even though Linkin Park isn’t that hard, the band provided a good emotional outlet for me. In the months following the break-up I was listen to Meteora all the time. I liked lyrics that said, “Sometimes I need you to stay away from me.” I also liked the line, “Let me take back my life, I’d rather be left alone.” And I especially enjoyed screaming, “All I want to do is be more like me and be less like you.” I was hurt from being dumped, I was angry at being dumped, and lyrics like that provided a healthy outlet for those emotions. Again, music shouldn’t be the only outlet but, for a little while, it was nice to drive along, shouting out those lyrics at the top of my lungs. It made me feel better.

That is one of the best aspects of music, its ability to provide a little release and make us feel better. Whether we’re a little angry or a little sad, music can make us feel better. Obviously we need more than music to address the issues in our lives, whether that is sadness over a loss or anger over a break-up. I eventually got out of my funk over the break-up by hanging out with friends and spending an afternoon with my grandparents; given the choice, I would choose human interaction over the solace of my iPod every time. But there isn’t any harm in using music to temporarily let off some steam or improve our mood; those are a two of music’s many functions. So if you need to let off some steam, roll down the windows, turn up the volume and sing it out; you’ll feel better and you’ll brighten the day of the person sitting next to you at the stop light.

When you’re angry, what music helps you let off some steam?

Freeform Friday 02 - Between Wyomings

Between Wyomings is Ken Mansfield’s memoir of his life and times in the music industry and his reflections of God based upon those experiences. Mansfield is a former record executive and producer who has worked with some of the largest names in the music world, most notably The Beatles. Mansfield set out on a year-long road trip with his wife to revisit the places of his past and, in some ways, bring closure to the storylines that those places represented. In Between Wyomings, Mansfield swings like a pendulum between recounting the stories of his past and giving an almost stream of conscious play-by-play of his thoughts with God.

Between Wyomings is at its best when Mansfield is telling stores and anecdotes from his past, discussing bands that he helped form and artists that he produced. It is interesting to read the reflections of a now devoted Christian on the excesses of his past. And even though Mansfield drops names, he never does it to simply drop names; all of his stories serve a purpose, even if that’s just to gain insight into his life that was and how it has affected his life that is.

However, when the pendulum swings to the other end, to the somewhat rambling interactions with God, Between Wyomings loses some steam. There are not a lot of these sections in the book, most of them appear in the first half, but when they came, I would find myself wishing Mansfield would get back to the stories. As a journey of self discovery, though, I can see how these sections are vital and important to his process. Mansfield needed to wrestle with some rambling thoughts in order to arrive at his goal of a more complete, more whole person.

Midway through the book, the stories and the ramblings begin to meet in the middle as they both gain more purpose: the stories cease to be simple anecdotes and become life altering events while the ramblings gain more focus and begin to highlight ways we can practically connect with God. That may be the greatest treasure of Between Wyomings, the journey in which we participate with Mansfield. He is honest and opens himself to his audience, not holding back his failures or his successes. And, in the end, we learn with Mansfield what it means to be a whole person, where our past, our present and our God help pave the way for our future.

Purchase Between Wyomings here.

Theology Thursday 02 - Clean the Bowl

I do a lot of cooking at home and most of my meals can be contained within a single bowl. I like the convenience of everything fitting in one bowl so I make a lot of pasta, chicken and rice, eggs and rice, sausage and rice; basically anything with rice. There is one bowl in particular out of which I enjoy eating; the bowl is bigger than a normal bowl so everything stays in the bowl without spilling over the sides and it’s blue and manly. I frequently use this bowl, sometimes twice in one day, so I’m always washing it by hand. I was washing the bowl the other day and I realized I was spending a lot of time cleaning the outside of the bowl. I thought how stupid it was to clean the outside of the bowl since most of the time should be spent cleaning the inside of the bowl, where the food actually goes. Then I thought about what Jesus had to say about cleaning the inside and not just the outside. I know that whole story sounds contrived and made up, like a comedian saying, “So I was at the mall…” just to set up a joke. It’s not a contrived story; I really was washing the bowl and then thought about Jesus. I’m such a church nerd.

The problem with being a church nerd or a leader in the church is that Jesus saved most of his harshest criticism for those people, for the ones on the inside, for the religious ones. Here is some of what Jesus had to say.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” – Matthew 23:25-26

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were far more concerned with their outer appearance than their inner lives; just like I was more concerned about the outside of my bowl than the inside. Jesus’ words push me to examine whether or not I really care about my inner life or if I just want people to see the outside and think that I’ve got it all together. It’s easy to fall into that trap, to focus on our outer appearance instead of our inner life. We want people to like us. We want people to think we’re good. We want people to think we’re admirable. If we’re just cleaning the outside, though, it’s a façade; it’s just a mask. Jesus calls people like that whitewashed tombs: clean on the outside but full of death on the inside. If we really want to live admirable lives, Jesus says to clean the inside first and then the outside will be clean as well.

Our inner lives need to be changed to really influence our outer lives. We need to examine our inner lives and those places that need to be deep cleaned. Addictions, anger, unforgiveness, habitual patters of sin; these are the things that need to be cleaned. Cleaning the outside does nothing to address these deeper issues. If they go unaddressed, eventually the façade will falter, the mask will crack and our unchanged inner lives will match our unchanged outer lives. We need to be honest with ourselves and honest with a trusted friend about the dirt on the inside. Acknowledging that something is dirty is the first step to getting it clean.

Most everyone wants to look good. I want people to like me. I want people to think I’m good. I want people to think I’m admirable. However, having a pristine outer appearance with a decaying inner life isn’t admirable and perhaps, more importantly, it isn’t healthy. God created us to be whole, complete people without any fractures and dissonance between our inner and outer lives. God wants to do an amazing work within us, transforming us on the inside so we can go outside and transform the world.

When have you cleaned something in your inner life and how did affect your outer life?

Leadership Wednesday 02 - Disciplined Leadership

I’m looking into getting ordained by Transformation Ministries, one of the denominations with which our church has affiliation. I was going over some of the paperwork today and there is a long list of requirements. There are recommendations that need to be filled out by pastors, I need to get the transcripts of my grades from Fuller Theological Seminary, I have to score at least an 85% on a Biblical knowledge exam and I have to agree with and sign a bunch of different covenants and doctrinal statements. One of the documents I have to sign is the “Leadership Covenant of Ethical Behavior”; acknowledging that, as a Christian leader, I will act accordingly. If I sign the document, I am committing “my thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors to represent Christ through the following disciplines of my calling.” I thought I’d highlight some of these disciplines and reflect upon them.

Leadership

By His grace and Spirit, I will lead God’s people with the spiritual authority which issues from a servant heart, godly character, and gifted performance. I will develop disciples of Christ and empower spiritual leaders for the Kingdom. (II Timothy 2:2)

Spiritual authority really does come from the heart of a servant. The most effective leaders with whom I’ve interacted are the ones who are willing to serve. Unfortunately not everyone shares the same servant-leader mentality outlined in the scriptures and modeled by Jesus. For some the allure of leadership is the ability to tell others what to do, to lead from a position of authority rather than from a posture of humility. If we truly want to be effective leaders we need to understand what it means to lead from a posture of humility; we have to seek out ways of placing the needs of our followers above our own and bend over backwards to serve them in everything that we do. Jesus changed the world by leading as a servant-leader; what kind of impact could that leadership have on our organization or ministry?

Purity and Integrity

I will conduct myself with sexual purity and integrity whether I am married or single. If married, in covenant faithfulness I will, in my thoughts, words, and deeds, love and respond toward my spouse as Christ loves and responds to me. If single, I will commit myself to celibacy until I enter marriage. I will not neglect my family: I will express my love for them in my time, attention, affection, and respect.

One of the most interesting aspects of this discipline is the focus on not neglecting the family. I have heard too many stories of leaders in ministry who focus so much on their ministry that they lose sight of their homes. These leaders would never think of cheating on their spouses but sometimes ministry becomes the mistress which calls them away in the middle of the night and consumes them even on vacation. The struggle with being in ministry leadership is that ministry is a lifestyle, it’s not a regular 9-5 job which can be turned off once we leave the office. However, even though ministry is unique, it still needs to subject itself to the family. Fortunately I haven’t really had to struggle with what this looks like yet but, when I have a family, I hope I can stay faithful to them and not be led astray by the mistress of ministry.

Facing my Failures

I will risk exposing my own flaws and shortcomings as a fellow learner among the saints. When I fall short of this covenant, I will confess my sin, repent and depend on God’s grace for healing and restoration. If such failure brings shame upon Christ, the church, or my marriage, I will withdraw from the ministry and place myself under the care of appropriate counseling and pastoral leaders until such time as it is deemed advisable by Transformation Ministries for me to return to professional leadership. (James 5:16; I Timothy 4:19-20)

How many times have we seen the moral failings of pastors become top headlines? How many of us can tell the story of a pastor caught having an affair and the damage it had upon a church and a congregation? I’m sure that none of them ever began their ministry thinking that they would like to destroy it by having an extra-marital affair; I just don’t think that’s part of anybody’s 10 or 20-year plan. Yet it continually happens and congregations and other believers on the outside are left wondering what happened. None of us wake up in the morning deciding that we want to have a major moral failure; that kind of failure is a process, a slippery slope, which takes place over time. Avoiding the major failure involves confessing the minor failures which, if unchecked, will eventually lead to the major failure. Accountability and confession need to be part of every leader’s life, as we admit where we’ve fallen short and seek forgiveness which leads to repentance.

Leadership is a choice which takes a lot of discipline: discipline to serve others, discipline to maintain purity and discipline to be honest about our flaws. Sometimes I wish that leadership was just about making big decisions and garnering the praise of others; there’s something attractive about always being in the limelight before an adoring audience. That’s not real leadership, though. That kind of leadership doesn’t garner any lasting influence and, therefore, doesn’t bring about any lasting change. Real leadership takes effort and can be a little messy, which is why it requires a tremendous amount of discipline. And, if we are disciplined and faithful, God will bless our work and we can be the ones leading people to praise God for what he has done.

What leadership discipline have you seen the most growth in over the past 12 months?

Topical Tuesday 02 - Jerry Jones

The Dallas Cowboys are allegedly America’s team, a moniker granted in the 70s which, for some inexplicable reason, has carried over into today. As America’s team, it would seem only fitting, that they should build a shining example of America’s unbelievable extravagance and dangerous opulence. The new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX cost an estimated $1.2 billion to build; one…point…two…billion…dollars. I’ve seen it from a distance and it is a massive structure that somewhat resembles a giant marshmallow. The stadium seats 80,000 people, has a retractable roof and is the largest domed structure in the world; truly, everything is bigger in Texas.

The massive scale of the stadium also includes the video screen which is suspended in the middle of the stadium. The screen is a Mitsubishi high definition television which measures in at 160 feet wide and 72 feet tall. I’m sure that the screen is a sight to behold and provides a crystal clear view of what is happening on the field. The only problem, though, is that the screen is too low and can easily be hit by a punt. In the first game at the new Cowboys Stadium, the Tennessee Titans’ punter A.J. Trapasso hit the screen while punting the ball during the game. Football coaches and analysts agree that the screen needs to be raised but the owner of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones, disagrees.

Jerry Jones is the 66-year-old owner of the Dallas Cowboys. He is a polarizing figure in sports, mainly due to his hands-on approach with the team. Not only is Jones the owner but he is also the general manager, making all the personnel decisions for the team. Some have suggested that Jones is too involved with the team but he is the owner and he does what he wants; and he does not want to take responsibility for the height of the screen in Cowboys Stadium. Jones says that it isn’t his fault that the screen is too low, the NFL approved the design and he’s not going to change it; he’s not to blame and he won’t take responsibility. After spending $2.1 billion on the stadium, he is not willing to spend $2 million to make the correction. Jones is stubborn and the only thing less likely to change is the expression on his face.

I’ve never made a $2 million mistake. In spite of that, it’s still hard to admit when I’m wrong; it’s still hard to admit that I’m sorry. To this day, apologizing is one of the most difficult things for me to do. Unfortunately for me, an ability to humble ourselves and admit when we’re wrong stands at the center of what it means to live our lives for Christ. We have to be willing to admit when we’re wrong, ask forgiveness and reconcile broken relationships.

In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5, Jesus says this:

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

When we’ve wronged someone we need to seek him or her out; Jesus says that we shouldn’t wait. We should strive to live in such a way as not to wrong anyone but, when we inevitably do, we need to be ready and willing to admit we’re wrong and make things right. Honestly, admitting we’re wrong sucks; there is no better way to put it, but we need to be willing to do it. The ability to admit we’re wrong and seek forgiveness is a sign of maturity and humility. It’s a sign which says we are more willing to sacrifice our pride for a relationship than to sacrifice a relationship for our pride.

Who knows how the Cowboys Stadium situation will be resolved. Before its conclusion there will be a lot of posturing and a lot of trying to save face, something with which Jerry Jones is very familiar. A $2 million mistake is a big one and I’m sure it’s very hard to admit to making such a colossal blunder. Thankfully, most of us will never make a mistake that big. But even in our small mistakes and our little offenses, we need to be willing to do the right thing and admit that we’re wrong. We need to find those we’ve wronged, admit our folly and seek forgiveness.

When have you admitted you were wrong and how did it affect a relationship?

Music Monday 02 - Celine Dion

I’ve done a lot of embarrassing things in my life. Once I stuck my foot through a wall at summer camp and so severely sprained my ankle that I spent the night being carted around in a wheelchair. Another time, while preaching in main service, I misspoke and said something about teenagers needing more sex. And, the pièce de résistance of my embarrassing moments, is when I accidentally dropped the F bomb in front of my entire Sunday school class. In spite of all those moments, however, there is one embarrassing facet of my life which stands out among all the rest. It is something I have tried to change but can’t; I have avoided it and I have confessed it, yet it continues to haunt me. I like a lot of bad music and I have a lot of guilty pleasures, yet the guiltiest and most embarrassing is Celine Dion. I have liked her as long as I can remember and, as far as I can tell, I will like her for many years to come.

There are a lot of things wrong with Celine Dion; I can readily admit that.

•She’s kind of annoying: The way she talks and the ways she carries herself and the odd noises she makes are kind of annoying. I don’t think she is someone with whom I would want to hang out but that doesn’t mean I can’t like her music.

•She’s too skinny: She looks a lot like a skeleton with long brown hair. She’s all bony and I think it wouldn’t hurt her to mix in a steak or some French fries. On The Soup with Joel McHale, Joel was talking about Celine’s new pregnancy and said that the baby was already complaining about how bony it is in the womb.

•She does that stupid thing with her hands: If you’ve ever seen Celine perform, whether it’s live or on TV, she always holds both of her arms out with her palms facing out, then she slaps her chest with both hands and flings her arms back out. What’s up with that? What is that? Stop doing that.

•She’s married to a dude who is 26 years older than she is: I know a lot of dudes date younger women; I myself am dating someone five years younger. There is a significant difference, however, between five and 26, like 21 years. And not only is she married to a significantly older man, but she told the world about it in the liner notes to one of her CDs; liner notes must have been the Facebook relationship status of the early 90s.

•“My Heart Will Go On”: I can’t stand the movie Titanic. It was too long and garnered award after award because teenage girls loved Leonardo DiCaprio. The popularity of the movie was also helped by its romantic theme song “My Heart Will Go On”. That song was everywhere for the better part of 1998; it couldn’t be escaped. Yet, even though I didn’t like the movie and that song filled my darkest nightmares, I still haven’t been able to give up on Celine.

There is a lot wrong with Celine Dion, there are plenty of reasons not to like her, but I can’t help it; I can’t stop liking her. So, in my defense, here are three reasons why, in spite of my best efforts, I still like Celine Dion.

She’s Talented
Even if you don’t like her music and you thing that she’s the most annoying Canadian since Dudley Do-Right, it’s difficult to deny Celine Dion’s talent. She really does have an amazing voice with an incredible range. Over the course of her career she has worked with talented producers and song writers to make quality pop music which can be very catchy. Obviously, catchy things aren’t always good; leprosy and pink eye are catchy but I’m not looking to contract either. Even though Celine’s music may not be of the highest quality, it is well produced and, like pink eye, catchy. It’d be easier to turn by back on Celine if I could write her off as a talentless corporate creation like Britney Spears but I can’t; she is actually talented and I do enjoy her music.

Beauty and the Beast
In 1991 Beauty and the Beast came out and I had a new favorite Disney movie. Beauty and the Beast is still my favorite Disney movie and probably one of my favorite moves because of the nostalgic place it holds in my childhood. Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson sang the single version of “Beauty and the Beast” which reached #9 on the Billboard charts. I still listen to that song and get caught up in the memory of the ballroom scene in the movie and my childhood thoughts of some day finding my own Belle. Celine Dion and the song “Beauty and the Beast” are so well connected to the nostalgia of my past that it’s difficult for me to separate those good feelings from the woman who sang the song. As a result, Celine holds a place in my nostalgic heart which she still occupies today.

My Mother
When I was a little kid I spent a lot of time with my mother; I was kind of a momma’s boy. I would always go the grocery store with her, partly because I didn’t want to be home alone and partly because I wanted to spend time with my mother. My mother has greatly influenced my life. Along with my father, she taught me the foundations of the Christian faith and lived out those foundations every morning, as I saw her spending personal time devoted to God. She helped set me along a lot of good paths in my life, but she also set me along the path that led to Celine. We would listen to Celine on KOST 103.5 on those rides to the grocery store and I think that, again, those fond memories are tied to Celine. My feelings for Celine run deep and are rooted in my childhood; I have supported her in the past and I will continue to support her in the future.

It’s embarrassing to like Celine Dion as much as I do. It’s not normal, it’s not right, but I can’t change, even if I wanted to. I’ve given thought in the past to changing my ways, I thought that it might really be time to work on these issues and move on. Then, when I was in Bethlehem, half-way around the world, we went to a restaurant and they were playing music. Now, in a restaurant in Bethlehem, I would have expected to hear some contemporary Arab music, perhaps some classical music, maybe even some Christmas carols. Yet in that restaurant, 6,000 miles from Canada, they were playing Celine Dion’s greatest hits. Now I don’t know if it was a sign from God, but the improbability of that moment and the joy I got from hearing “A New Day Has Come” while eating pita and hummus, made me realize Celine Dion brings a little happiness into my life. And who wants to cut out any amount of happiness, embarrassing as it may be.

What is your musical guilty pleasure?

Freeform Friday 01 - Singing Out Loud

I recently saw a performance of Fiddler on the Roof. I had never seen the musical before, I hadn’t even ever seen the movie. I was really excited for this new experience and to see Topol, the actor portraying Tevye, since he is world renown for playing that character. My excitement reached its pinnacle as the lights went down and the fiddler began playing the first notes of the musical. As soon as he began playing, though, the woman next to me began humming along with the music, loudly. Obviously this was not her first time seeing Fiddler on the Roof; she was well versed with the musical and its music, well versed enough to hum along with every single song.

Every time a new song began, she would begin to hum along. As her humming got louder and harder to ignore I would scoot to the far side of my seat to get away from her. My movement must have helped her realize what she was doing and she would stop humming but, after a few bars had passed, she would begin humming again. The people in front of her kept turning around to shoot her dirty looks but she was persistent; in spite of their looks and my desperate attempts to get away, she kept humming along, literally. Obviously it’s not acceptable to sing or loudly hum along with a musical; it’s not loud enough to drown out the humming and the humming cannot match the talent of the professionals on stage. So if it’s not appropriate to sing out loud at a musical, when is it appropriate to sing out loud? I’ve got three suggestions for places we can sing out loud to our hearts’ content.

At a Concert
A concert is a completely different venue than a musical. At a musical you’re seated quietly, near a lot of other people, listening to a performance without amps, without distortion and without a half-naked drummer. A concert is really loud and even if you scream and sing at the top of your lungs, the person in front of you won’t even know you’re there. Even if it’s a quiet, acoustic set, people are still expected to sing along out loud. If you were at a Poison show, just because the band begins “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” doesn’t mean you have to stop singing; even though it’s a quieter ballad, you sing right along with Brett Michaels and his awesome bandana. Bands and performers like it when the audience sings along with them in concert; it provides immediate feedback and helps fill out the sound on a live recording. As a performer, however, it does have to feel pretty bad when, as soon as you finish your one hit, everyone stops singing and starts making their way to the bathroom or the concessions.

In the Car
One of the best parts about driving is rolling with the windows down singing along with your music. Whether it’s death metal, rap or 80s synth pop, everyone should feel free to sing in their car. Who cares if you get awkward glances from the people in the car next to you as you both wait for the light to turn green? If someone is judging you for singing loudly in your car, it’s most likely because they’re not as free as you are; they haven’t discovered the joy of singing "Mama-se, mama-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa" along with “Wanna Be Startin’ Something.” If someone is judging you for singing loudly in your car, they most likely aren’t enjoying their driving experience; they’re probably unhappy because they’re going to get a root canal or they’re on their way to see the latest Dane Cook movie. If someone is judging you for singing loudly in your car, maybe they’re listening to talk radio; instead of music they’d rather listen to the crazy ramblings of Glenn Beck as he tells America to stockpile canned food and guns for the nearing apocalypse. Even though singing loudly in your car is acceptable, it’s important to always remember to keep control of your car; no one wants to get rear ended by someone who really got into their air drum solo.

At Church
Most church services have a time dedicated to worshipping God through the singing and playing of music. Even more so than the concert, people are encouraged to sing out loud during church. Even if you’re not that great of a singer, you’re encouraged to sing as loud as you can; God doesn’t care how you sound and neither should the people in front of you. In fact, sometimes you’re judged more if you’re not singing than if you’re singing poorly. Worship leaders like to encourage the congregation to sing more loudly, sometimes practically yelling at the congregation, challenging them to be louder than all the amps and the microphones. It can devolve into a Sunday morning version of the “We love Jesus, yes we do! We love Jesus, how ‘bout you?” chant. The worship leader obviously loves Jesus and wants everyone else to love Jesus and sing as loudly for Jesus as is humanly possible. So sing loudly in church because that way you know that Jesus will hear it for sure.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of appropriate places to sing out loud; there are myriad others. But if you’re singing and getting a lot of dirty looks from people and people are trying to get away from you, it may not be the right time to sing out loud; that, or your body odor is louder than any noise coming out of your mouth.

Where do you like to sing and why?

Theology Thursday 01 - NOTW

Very often in my life I’ve been told that I have to be “in the world but not of the world.” It’s a phrase that comes out of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples in John 17 where he says that his disciples are not of the world. This is a phrase that is very popular among evangelical Christians; it describes how we are supposed to live in this world but not get caught up in all the trappings of this world. Reflecting on it now, however, I realize that I have had a very limited understanding of what this concept means and what Jesus meant in his prayer.

Based upon sermons I’ve heard and sermons I’ve given, I always thought this concept simply meant that we weren’t supposed to do bad things and that people were supposed to see us avoiding those bad things. Take the example of partying. As a Jesus follower it’s possible to be at a party where people are getting drunk but not drink; therefore being in the world but not of the world. But if that’s all we understand about this concept, then we’re really missing out on what it means to follow Jesus and have our lives transformed while living in this world. We discussed this concept at our college Bible study and with their help, my understanding of both parts, in the world and of the world, were expanded.

Jesus prays for his disciples and says that they are not of the world. I have always thought that this really just applied to our actions, to the things we do. As followers of Jesus our actions should be different from those of people in this world. I thought it simply meant that we shouldn’t be getting drunk, that we shouldn’t be having sex and we shouldn’t be listening to all that rock and roll music. And while I firmly believe we shouldn’t get drunk, shouldn’t have sex outside of marriage and should avoid some of today’s music (mostly because it’s not very good), that’s a very shallow view of what it means to not be of the world. The concept of not being of the world needs to apply to our inner life as well, our thoughts and our motives.

It’s very easy to live a life which looks not of the world but to hold motives and thoughts which are very much of the world. We can easily avoid sex, drunkenness and drugs while still holding onto things like pride, greed, envy and materialism. Those inner things of the world are deeply rooted in our lives as we’re told by our western culture that the individual is king or queen and gaining as many material possessions is the highest priority. We need to honestly evaluate our inner lives and identify the motives and thoughts which are of the world and do what is necessary to make them not of the world.

Jesus also exemplified what it means to be in the world. I always thought it meant that I should be a shining light, just living differently, being the salt of the earth. It is definitely good and worthy to be salt and light, to be an example, but there is so much more to being in the world than just living as an example of Jesus. Being in the world means engaging the world, not just being present, but actually doing something in the world. Jesus wasn’t just here on Earth, he did something; he not only set the example for how we should live but he served people and helped those in need.

I really thought that being in the world meant that I was just supposed to be a shining light living my life. I hoped, and still do, that people would look at me and see that I choose to live my life differently. Jesus even says in Matthew 5 that we should live our lives differently and, when people see our different lives, they’ll praise our father in heaven. But just standing and being a light isn’t active enough, it doesn’t engage the world like Jesus engaged the world. No one who is starving in Africa is ever going to say, “Look at that Scott Higa. He is setting an example and being a light in this world. He is shining so brightly that I’m not even hungry anymore.” That’s not going to happen. To be in the world means that we are present and engaged with this world, doing what we can to redeem it.

If we’re followers of Jesus we need to be in the world but not of the world; it’s a good concept. But it needs to go beyond the shallow understanding that we don’t do bad things and we make sure people see us not doing bad things. We need to examine our inner thoughts and motives, as well as our actions, and make sure those aren’t of the world. And we need to not just be a light on a hill, we need to take that light and engage the world, really be present within it.

How are your thoughts and motives of the world? What are you doing to really be in the world?

Leadership Wednesday 01 - Everyday Decisions

I went to the optometrist yesterday for my annual checkup. It was an average optometrist appointment with the requisite “one or two,” “this one or that one,” and “read me that line backwards now.” The vision in my right eye has gotten a little worse but, other than that, my eyes are doing all right. I went to pay for my eye exam, ready to give the receptionist $75, the cost for an exam without vision insurance. Imagine my surprise, however, when she told me that I only owed her seven dollars. I gave her a funny look at told her that I didn’t have insurance and that she might want to double check the system. It turns out that there is a Scott T. Higa somewhere in this world and apparently he has really good vision insurance. Once we had the issue cleared up, I paid my $75 and went on with my day.

Looking back, though, it would have been really nice to save $68; I could have done quite a bit with that extra money. And even though I know that it is better to be honest, I’m still a little upset that I didn’t just pretend to be ignorant and walk out of there with a heavier wallet. We face small decisions like that every day, just little choices we’re given to do the right thing. So much of our growth and development as leaders takes place within those small decisions that we face on any given day.

Sometimes I like to think that leadership is all about the big decisions that I make, the ones that will have the largest impact. I think about FDR’s decision to enter World War II after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor or Steve Job’s decision to rebrand Apple as the company which creates iPods in order to gain more traction with its computers and notebooks. These are the decisions that I want to focus on as a leader, the grand decisions that will be written about for years to come. In all actuality, though, not very many of those decisions take place on a daily basis; sometimes those decisions come, but they are usually few and far between. So, as leaders, should we only be looking to those big moments or should spend a little more time focusing on all the little, everyday moments?

As leaders we need to focus on the day-to-day living and the day-to-day decisions. It is those small decisions every day which build character and prepare us for the big decisions. FDR and Steve Jobs didn’t just sit around waiting for the big decision, when they would finally have an opportunity to lead; they spent their lives preparing for the big decision by leading on a daily basis, choosing to live and lead rightly every day. We need to prepare ourselves for the big decisions by choosing rightly with the small decisions. And, even if we never make the big decision, we’ll have spent our lives building character and creating influence by focusing on how we live on a daily basis. That is true leadership.

Where is your focus and how is that affecting your leadership?

Topical Tuesday 01 - Michael Vick

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” – Matthew 18:21-22

With those words Jesus set the standard for Christians as far as forgiveness is concerned. Seventy-seven isn’t the magical number we strive for when forgiving someone, hoping to make it to seventy-eight so we can write someone off and not forgive him or her. Jesus is exaggerating his point, saying that we should always forgive those who wrong us, no matter how often they wrong us; our forgiveness should be limitless. Unfortunately it is easy to lose sight of this standard when taking public figures into account.

Michael Vick has reentered the conscious of America as last week he signed a one-year contract with the National Football League’s Philadelphia Eagles. This will be the first opportunity Vick will have to play football since pleading guilty to felony charges stemming from an illegal dog fighting ring which Vick bank rolled and in which he participated. Vick was the number one draft pick in 2001 and was the highest paid football player in the NFL. However, nowadays, he has become the poster boy for animal cruelty and public enemy number one in the eyes of some. There has been a large outcry in the American public because of Vick’s actions, mostly stemming from the mistreatment of dogs. Americans love their dogs and some have suggested that Vick’s actions are unforgiveable. With his reinstatement to the NFL, the question has arisen of whether or not Michael Vick should be forgiven and whether or not he deserves a second chance. Jesus would say that Vick definitely should be forgiven and given seventy-seven chances.

We have all made mistakes and we all need forgiveness. Some of our sins, some of our mistakes are not as egregious as killing dogs but others are far more egregious. We all know the need for forgiveness and that is why we have to be willing to forgive. There will always be consequences for our sins, but being unforgiven shouldn’t be one of those consequences. Vick served 19 months in prison, lost every dime he ever made and has to carry around the burden of what he did; those are the consequences of his actions but he should still be forgiven. And, if he steps out of line again, there will be more consequences, potentially harsher ones, but he should still be forgiven, up to seventy-seven times and beyond.

We all need to seek forgiveness at some point in our lives, either from people we’ve wronged or the holy God who we ultimately wrong with every one of our sins. And even though we will always experience the consequences of our sins, it’s my hope that I’ll always experience forgiveness as well. When we’re forgiven it releases is to take full advantage of our second chance; when we forgive it releases us to see the hope and potential of another human being. I have hope that Michael Vick will turn his life around and take full advantage of the second chance he’s been given but my ability to see that hope begins with forgiveness.

To whom do you need to give a second chance? Whose forgiveness do you need to seek out?

Music Monday 01 - "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)"

I like a lot of music from the 80s. I was born in the 80s and grew up listening to all of the synth pop and one-hit wonders. I didn’t realize how much I liked 80s music, though, until I kept listening to it well into the 90s and began to get weird glances from people as I drove down the street listening to Depeche Mode, Pat Benatar and Michael Jackson. A lot of the music in the 80s wasn’t very good and, admittedly, it doesn’t age very well; music from the 80s sounds like music from the 80s. But while it may not have been very good, a lot of 80s music was uplifting and inspirational. One such song was John Parr’s hit “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)”.

The song “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” was written about Rick Hansen, a Canadian paraplegic who rode his wheelchair on a 26-month tour to raise money for spinal cord research. The song was also used in the movie St. Elmo’s Fire and reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1985. Here is the chorus from the song:

I can see a new horizon underneath the blazin' sky
I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher
Gonna be your man in motion, all I need is a pair of wheels
Take me where my future's lyin', St. Elmo's Fire

Again, there were a lot of songs in the 80s that weren’t great songs and “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” definitely falls into that category. There are too many synthesized sounds and some misplaced horn sections that don’t really fit with the song; it’s not a very good song but it is an inspiring song. It’s a song about looking forward to the possibilities that could be and a belief that things can get better. It’s an inspirational song about a man who accomplished an amazing feat and, while it may not even sniff The Beatles or U2, it’s hopeful and that’s why I like it.

Unfortunately, as I survey the Billboard charts from this year and recent years, the top songs aren’t nearly as uplifting, they’re not as inspiring. Singing about new horizons and overcoming obstacles is definitely more uplifting than “Boom Boom Pow” or “Poker Face”. Most of the songs which reach #1 these days are about getting down in a club, setting fires, hooking up with some shorty or screaming. Obviously, there were songs that reached #1 in the 80s which weren’t uplifting or inspiring, but at least inspiring songs had a chance; I don’t know if inspiring and encouraging songs even have a chance anymore. Perhaps the 80s were a more hopeful time as our nation experienced unparalleled affluence and economic success; but the overindulgences of the 80s and their effects have left us a little more jaded and little less thirsty for the inspiring songs we once knew.

I’m not saying that you should throw away your Black Eyed Peas CDs or delete Lady GaGa from your iTunes; I certainly don’t want to. However, it isn’t all pessimistic or vapid drivel on the radio, there has to be something encouraging or inspirational to which we can listen. We should listen to such music and fill our minds and souls with lyrics that push us towards something greater, that give us a hope that things can get better. So give “Beautiful Day” by U2 a spin. Listen to “Remedy” by the David Crowder Band. Log onto iTunes and download “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” by John Parr. Find something that inspires and encourages you and listen to it a lot.

What music inspires and encourages you?

Download “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” buy John Parr here.