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.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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?