Nothing New Under the Sun

Topical Tuesday 36 - East Coast Bias

2011-01-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

I don’t like the SEC.

I know there are a lot of people who like the SEC and they are a really strong conference, but I still don’t like them. Undoubtedly I prefer the PAC-12 because I live on the west coast, watch USC games and just generally like this part of the country better than the parts I don’t live in. But my dislike of the SEC is a lot stronger than simply preferring the place I live over another; my deep dislike of the SEC is rooted in ESPN’s preferential treatment of and fawning over the conference.

ESPN has an east coast bias which extends south to include the SEC. It seems as if in the eyes of ESPN, the SEC can do no wrong. Last night after the game, Brent Musburger and the dreamy Kirk Herbstreet kept dumping praise on Cam Newton for how well he endured the trials he faced this season. Despite what the NCAA ruled, it seems that some of the trials Newton faced were self inflicted. Newton played great but he I don’t know if anybody who was under as much scrutiny as he was deserves such blind devotion and adulation.

This sort of biased coverage will continue for the foreseeable future, though, since ESPN and SEC signed a 15-year contract in 2008. So those of us on the west coast will have to continue to endure ESPN’s east coast bias, in hopes that 2023 will bring some change and recognition of the other half of the country.

Music Monday 39 - Top Albums of 2010

2011-01-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

The amount of new music I listen to has been taking a hit over the past few years. I still really love music and listen to it frequently, but because of my iPod, I rarely get introduced to new bands. I’ll listen to my XM every so often just to see what’s out there, but for the most part I listen to my iPod and sports talk. So when going over the new albums I got in 2010, there weren’t too many to compile a list of my favorites. But, from that limited selection, here are my top albums of 2010.

Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite

I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for Kylie Minogue. I love her pop/dance music and it generally puts me in a really good mood. I’ve probably listened to Aphrodite more than any other album in 2010. The songs “Aphrodite” and “All the Lovers” are great to listen to with the windows down on a warm summer night. Kylie also faced and defeated breast cancer a few years ago, and Aphrodite is something of a victory lap for beating the cancer.

Brooke Fraser – Flags

Brooke Fraser first came to my knowledge as part of Hillsong United, a gifted worship leader and a powerful song writer, penning the songs “Hosanna” and “You’ll Come.” Flags is the follow up to her 2008 release Albertine. I enjoyed Albertine, but Flags is a much stronger album. The lead single “Something in the Water” is a great song with a fun video but the duet with Aqualung, “Who Are We Fooling,” is my favorite song on the album. “Who Are We Fooling” is a sad and honest look at a relationship taking its last breaths.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are a throwback to the Motown era of the 60s. I purchased this album in 2010, but it sounds like it could have been purchased in 1965. I Learned the Hard Way has such a sublime throwback feel that I can’t help but close my eyes and just experience the music, not when I’m driving, though, that would be dangerous. Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings is a new group that I discovered for myself in 2010, thanks to seeing their album on sale at Starbucks.

Tyrone Wells – Metal & Wood

I love Tyrone Wells; I have every one of his albums. He released the EP Metal & Wood in March and it was less like an EP and more like a full album release. The EP has 10 tracks on it, a few of which are covers and older songs, but it’s still an awesome album. On Metal & Wood, Tyrone continues to address social issues with a hopeful spirit, knowing that things can get better if we all work together.

There are my top albums of 2010. Obviously, there’s a lot of music I missed. I would love for you to educate me. What were your top albums of 2010?

Freeform Friday 22 - Shower Thinking

2011-01-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

These days I’m doing a lot of thinking. I have two blogs to update, sermons to write and preaching series to develop. While I enjoy these activities, they do require a lot of focused thinking. The truth is that I don’t have as much time as I would like for focused thinking; I wish I had a dark room with comfy chairs in which I could sit and ideate. Unfortunately I have no such room and I have to squeeze my focused thinking in when I can.

So I do my focused thinking in the shower.

Some people cringe when I talk about the practice of shower thinking. For them it seems a little too personal to talk about what happens behind the shower curtain. If we can get away from that side of showering, though, we can easily see that there are few times better suited for focused thinking.

You’re alone.

There are few distractions.

It happens every day.

In our busy lives, we often don’t have a daily scenario in which we’re alone and free from distractions. Showering provides that daily scenario and we should use it as such. We shouldn’t see showering as just an opportunity to get clean and allow the hot water to wake us up; we should see showering as the environment for our most focused thinking of the day.

In the shower I don’t have my phone, I can’t check my email and there’s no television or radio to derail my thoughts. The only tasks at hand are shampooing and loofa’ing, which do not take too much mental effort. Since the task of showering is so mindless, it frees me up to think about an upcoming sermon or blog post. It also provides a quiet moment that God can use to speak to us.

Since we hopefully shower every day, we should view those 10-15 minutes as more than just a necessary task. Showering can provide the much needed opportunity for all of us to spend some time in focused thought, whether that’s prepping for a sermon, planning out some goals or preparing for a party. Just don’t get shampoo in your eyes.

What other situations provide you time for focused thinking?

Theology Thursday 27 - New Year Mercies

2011-01-05T21:59:00.001-08:00

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

Even though I know that God’s compassions are new every morning, I don’t often live like that. Like so much of the rest of the world, I buy into the idea that I can only start something new at the New Year. January 1 is the only time when it’s appropriate to make a change, try to be better or do something different with my life. Instead of trusting in God’s compassion on a daily basis to make the changes necessary in my life, I only trust in that compassion on an annual basis.

Trusting in God’s compassion on an annual basis, though, only leads to broken resolutions and good intentions that run out of steam. If I really want to be different, if I really want to lose more weight, if I really want to get my finances in order, if I really want to blog more regularly, one dose of compassion at the beginning of the year isn’t enough to sustain me. I need God’s compassion daily; I need to sit in it and revel in it and be empowered by it.

Lamentations doesn’t say that God’s compassion is new every year; it says every day. It’s up to us to accept that compassion on a daily basis and allow it to transform us into the people that God created us to be.

Leadership Wednesday 30 - Leadership Crucible

2011-01-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago we took our high school group to a church in Hollywood to help out with a toy drive. There were 20 students on the trip who volunteered their time and sacrificed part of their Christmas vacation to work around the church and do whatever was needed. I always enjoy going on trips with our youth group because they end up being a crucible for leadership.

Most of my leadership development has taken place within the context of ministry. When I was in high school I was a student leader, I volunteered as a leader in different ministries throughout college and now I’m blessed to lead our high school ministry. I’ve learned so much about leadership in ministry over the years and youth group trips really provide an opportunity to put what I’ve learned into practice.

Delegation.

Conflict resolution.

Setting an example.

Motivating others.

These are just some of the skills I had to practice and the trip was only two days. Every trip I go on with our youth group is a real-life leadership training course that I can use to hone my skills.

What’s exciting is that I can look back to the first time I was a counselor on a youth group trip and see how much I’ve grown. I can look back to when I was 16-years-old and knew absolutely nothing about leadership; I can identify all of the mistakes that I made back then and how I’ve grown from them. I’m also really excited to continue going on youth group trips to keep growing my leadership; in another 10 years I’ll be able to look back on how much I’ve grown and how much I learned from the mistakes that I’m making today.

How do you continue to hone and sharpen your leadership skills?

Topical Tuesday 35 - 9,000 Pageviews

2011-01-03T22:44:00.000-08:00

Below is a graph of the traffic on this blog from last week.

You’ll notice that it had somewhat of a steep peak on January 30 around 6:00pm. The post in question can be read here and now has over 9,200 pageviews; obviously this nothing to do with me since that post beat my previous best by over 9,000 pageviews.

However, based upon my experience, I have put together a step-by-step guide for getting over 9,000 pageviews or more for your blog.

Step 1: Insult someone on Twitter with over 380,000 followers.

Now this may seem like the easiest step, but it takes some effort. Not everyone with that many followers will see your tweet, much less care about it. The insult has to be worth a response; if not, it will just disappear into the Internet.

Step 2: Receive completely justified hate from the followers of the person you insulted.

This is one of the most exciting parts of the process. Suddenly when checking Twitter your mentions will go through the roof. You’ll have people mentioning you that you’ve never met. Chances are most won’t have the kindest things to say, but at least they’re saying something, right?

Step 3: Write a response to the situation you’ve created and post it to your blog.

Now there are a couple different ways you can go here. You can respond like all those throwing fireballs at you, spilling out levels of vitriol usually saved for jilted lovers. Or you can take the high road and try to respond in a way that will foster reconciliation. Either way, how you respond isn’t as important as whether or not your response gets noticed.

Step 4: Get the person you insulted to share the link to your blog to his or her over 380,000 followers.

Unfortunately this step is completely out of your control. Your response, vehement or penitent, will most likely fall upon deaf ears. Should it get noticed, though, and shared with a large number of people, there’s a good chance that you’ll be on your way to over 9,000 pageviews.

So that’s my step-by-step guide for getting over 9,000 pageviews.

Honestly, though, I have no idea what alignment the planets were in to get that many eyeballs onto my words. In the end, I can only hope others can learn from my mistake and that in some way God was glorified because of my failings.

Now, if I could get another 9,000 pageviews for doing something positive, I’d be all for it.

Music Monday 38 - Tron: Legacy

2011-01-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

I have very strict rules about listening to Christmas music so December is always a struggle for me. I have to live with the tension of having a limited time to listen to Christmas music and wanting to listen to other music as well. That tension really weighed me down last month with the release of the Tron: Legacy soundtrack.

The first week after Thanskgiving was great, I was blaring “All I Want for Christmas is You” and Band-Aid. But then, on December 6, everything changed. Daft Punk released their soundtrack to Tron: Legacy and I didn’t want to listen to anything else, not even Wham! consoling the Christmas brokenhearted. I was completely conflicted but Daft Punk won out more often than not.

The soundtrack is amazing and completely made the movie; I don’t think I would have enjoyed Tron: Legacy half as much as I did if it had a different soundtrack. Daft Punk are a perfect fit for the movie and they even make a cameo in the film. I enjoy listening to movie soundtracks when I read or I’m trying to write, but I listen to the Tron: Legacy soundtrack when I’m just driving around; it’s that good.

In the end, I feel like I listened to enough Christmas music to get my fill, especially when all the casinos were still playing it last week in Las Vegas. The same can’t be said about Tron: Legacy. I listen to it all the time and I’m sure that will continue for some time. At least it will continue when I’m not with Alycia; I think at this point she’d prefer hearing “The Christmas Song” a few more times.

Freeform Friday 21 - Apologizing to Adam Schefter

2010-12-30T17:48:00.000-08:00

I was taking a break from blogging until the New Year. Then this morning I sent out this tweet:

@ScottHiga: Adam Schefter sounds like a tool when he says "Matthew Hasselbeck" What is he? Too professional to call the guy Matt? Just sit on it, Potsie

Adam Schefter is an NFL analyst for ESPN. I didn’t know why he was calling him Matthew; I’ve never heard him called Matthew before. Then Adam Schefter replied to me by tweeting this:

@AdamSchefter: RT @ScottHiga Schefter sounds like a tool when he says "Matthew Hasselbeck" Too professional to call the guy Matt? ... He prefers Matthew.

Then I had almost 50 people who I don’t know tell me that I’m a tool and that I got totally owned by Adam Schefter.

I couldn’t agree with them more.

I got caught up in the faceless nature of the Internet. If I knew Adam Schefter personally or if he was more to me than a face on the television screen, I wouldn’t have called him a tool and posted it on Twitter. If I knew Adam Schefter personally I would have simply asked why it is he calls him Matthew instead of Matt. I fell prey to the anonymity of the Internet, though, and responded inappropriately and poorly. I thought I was just making a joke that four of my friends would enjoy. I forgot that while Adam Schefter doesn’t know me or care what I think, he probably doesn’t like anonymous attacks any more than I do.

So I apologize to Adam Schefter, even if he never reads this or cares. Regardless of his paying attention, I was still wrong.

Some of those 50 people who responded to me might suggest that I’m only apologizing because I got caught; they would be right. Had Adam Schefter not called me out to his 380,000 followers, life would have continued and I wouldn’t have felt the need to apologize. But because he did, my action has been cast in its proper light and I can see that I was unequivocally wrong. I am sincerely sorry and I look at this as an opportunity to learn from a mistake and not make it again. That’s the nice thing about apologies, even when they fall on no ears, we can still grow from them.

Theology Thursday 26 - 700 Miles of Effort

2010-12-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

I went on a blind date once and I had to drive about 20 miles in order to pick her up. 20 miles is about the maximum distance I’d travel to meet someone I don’t know. Had my blind date lived 25 or 30 miles away, I might have just said no; the date didn’t go that well so maybe I should have.

I don’t want to travel that far to see people I know, much less someone I don’t know. Yet every Christmas I’m reminded of how far the magi travelled in order to see Jesus. The magi were most likely from Babylon and they would have made a 700 mile journey to Bethlehem in order to see Jesus.

Seven hundred miles.

That puts me to shame.

Sometimes I don’t want to drive 10 minutes to church.

Sometimes I don’t want to wake up 15 minutes early in order to spend some time in the word.

Sometimes I don’t want to disconnect from Facebook and pray.

If I had been one of the magi (I am “Oriental”) I would have set the cap at about 40 or 50 miles. If the newly born king was 50 miles away I would have gone, but anything more than that and I would have stayed at home and done all sorts of hood rat things with my magi buddies.

We can learn something from the magi. They were so intentional about seeing Jesus; no distance was too great to keep them from worshiping the newborn Lord. Their effort begs the question: how much effort am I putting into spending time with Jesus? We don’t have to travel 700 miles to spend time with Jesus, but even today it still takes effort and intention. And if we want to really spend time with Jesus, if we want to sit at his feet and worship him just as the magi did, we have to make the effort.

Leadership Wednesday 29 - Get Serious About Fun

2010-12-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

This week our church’s staff had its annual Christmas party. In my three Christmases on staff we’ve had a nice lunch at church and sang some songs. This year, though, we went to a local deli for lunch and then headed to the bowling alley to knock over some pins. Our senior pastor, Rob, wanted to be sure that our team was making time to just have some fun. And, as you can see in the picture below, Rob made sure that he was having fun.

It’s easy to get caught up in the task of leadership. Leadership is a serious business, or at least it should be if what we’re leading has any value. I spend a lot of time in vision and planning meetings, learning from our past mistakes to make a better future. Leadership is about creating a better future through our businesses or organizations and we need to take that task seriously.

But it’s also important to have some fun.

We need to go bowling, we need to wear silly hats, we need to laugh and have a good time. Gathering a team together, without an agenda other than having fun, goes a long way in building camaraderie. Having fun strengthens relationships, which will provide the foundation for the serious task at hand. And we’ll have a much greater chance of completing that serious task if we get serious about having fun.

How have you seen fun help your leadership and strengthen a team?

Topical Tuesday 34 - Winners Get Second Chances

2010-12-14T02:22:00.000-08:00

Michael Vick is currently leading all players in voting for the NFL’s Pro Bowl. It’s great that Michael Vick is actually getting his second chance; he has appeared repentant and made the right choices since his release from jail. I worry, though, that Vick’s second chance wouldn’t have been so quick in coming if he wasn’t leading the Philadelphia Eagles toward the playoffs or racking up points for fantasy owners.

As a nation, I feel we can be very forgiving, especially when it comes to athletes. If athletes are repentant and seem to change, we can forgive them. The process of forgiveness can be accelerated, though, by winning. If Michael Vick wasn’t having an MVP type season I don’t know if he would be as far along in his second chance as he is. If he was still riding the bench or having a mediocre season, he might still be that “dog fighting guy” instead of that “guy who won me my fantasy league”.

Everyone deserves a second chance, but that second chance shouldn’t be based upon whether or not someone is a winner or a loser. The second chance should be based upon grace and the person’s willingness to change and embrace the new chance he or she has been given. We shouldn’t withhold grace and forgiveness based upon performance; we should freely give them to the winners and the losers, because when we do, everybody wins. (Except for my fantasy team, they’re still losers.)

Music Monday 37 - Unjust Christmas Songs

2010-12-12T23:18:00.000-08:00

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ who described his mission as this:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Jesus came to bring peace and justice; he came to set things right. Some Christmas songs reflect this truth. O Holy Night contains this line:

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.

But there are a lot more Christmas songs that reflect injustice and even encourage us to participate in those activities.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Everyone loves the story of Rudolph. He was invented for a Montgomery Ward coloring book and has since become as traditional as Santa Claus. Very early on, through the story of Rudolph, children learn that life isn’t fair.

All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.

What games do reindeer play? I imagine all the reindeer standing out in the snow picking teams for dodge ball and poor Rudolph just standing there until the end, both captains fighting over who would have to have Red-Nose on their team.

Rudolph was singled out because of a birth defect. He was born with a red nose and there was nothing he could do about it. But, instead of hiding it or begging his parents to get him rhinoplasty, Rudolph embraced his nose and it eventually led him to greatness. Life isn’t fair but if you work hard and have an exploitable physical deformity, good things can happen.

Winter Wonderland
I really like Winter Wonderland because it’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to living in an actual winter wonderland; it was 80 in Southern California today. I also like the song more now that I’m married because I have someone with whom to conspire by the fire. There is a peculiar line in the song, though, that exemplifies the unjust nature of life, even during the Christmas season.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown.
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kiddies knock him down!

What the crap? Who are these rogue children running through this alleged wonderland knocking down snowmen? Snowmen take a lot of effort: snow has to be piled, carrots have to be acquired, buttons have to be removed from clothing. But, after all of that hard work, some punk kids from the neighborhood come and knock Mr. Snowman down. In the punk kids’ defense, clowns are creepy and deserve any abuse they get

Jesus did come to break chains, release the oppressed and set things right. That work began with his birth and continues today through his followers. Even when we celebrate his birth, though, it’s good to have reminders of what exactly he’s setting right. So every time we sing about an ostracized red-nosed reindeer or a prematurely destroyed snowman, we can thank Jesus for his birth and the way he is rebuilding and recreating this world.

What other hidden meanings can you find in your favorite Christmas carols?

Freeform Friday 20 - Preaching Lions

2010-12-10T09:07:00.001-08:00

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader releases to movie theaters today as Hollywood continues to cash in on the popularity of fantasy epics created by The Lord of the Rings. I haven’t seen the movie yet but I probably will. I most recently read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on our honeymoon and it was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I replicated and enlarged the cover of the book onto a sandwich board to wear in our school’s book parade. I felt pretty classy having a classic on my board while all my classmates had those flash-in-the-pan Goosebumps books on theirs.

I remember reading a review for the last Narnia movie, Prince Caspian; it said that the movie was all right but that it was a little too “preachy” at certain points. I assume the reviewer meant that the parts about Lucy needing to believe in Aslan even when no one else would were too preachy. It makes sense, though, that a movie heavily marketed to Christians would be a little preachy; Christians like preachy.

Most every week Christians go to church, gather together, sing some songs and listen to a preacher. Christians get preached at all the time.

I go to church and listen to the sermon every week.

I listen to myself give a talk every Tuesday night.

I got to conferences and listen to people give messages.

Sometimes I even download sermons and listen to them throughout my day.

Christians like being preached to, even if it’s coming from an anthropomorphized lion who is analogous to God. I don’t know if The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be any good, but I am sure that it will have some preachiness to it; and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Maybe someone will see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader just to be entertained, end up being intrigued by the story of a lion who can renew and recreate, and then perhaps that intrigue will push them to want to hear some more preaching in a church on Sunday.

Leadership Wednesday 28 - Elizabeth Edwards and Legacy

2010-12-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

Sadly, Elizabeth Edwards died yesterday. Elizabeth Edwards was the estranged wife of former senator and presidential candidate John Edwards. In her death, Elizabeth Edwards is being remembered for her commitment to social justice and her resilience in facing life’s struggles. In recent years, those struggles have included cancer and a cheating husband. Looking back across Elizabeth Edward’s life, it’s easy to see that her legacy will be different from that of her husband, John Edwards.

In 2008 I really liked John Edwards. I believed in his message of social reform and meeting the needs of the less fortunate. For once in my life I had emotionally invested in a political candidate; for the first time I had a dog in the fight. When Edwards didn’t move past the primaries I still held him in esteem as someone who cared about the things I cared about and wanted to enact some change. That all changed, though, when he confessed to having an affair while his wife battled cancer. My view of him degraded further when he confessed that he had fathered a child with his mistress, a child he had initially denied and disowned.

In this couple we have the opportunity to see how our actions will affect our legacy. Elizabeth Edwards will be remembered as an extraordinary woman, full of grace even in the midst of difficult circumstances. John Edwards, for all the good he’s accomplished and might accomplish in the future, will have a difficult time shaking his reputation as a liar and philanderer.

The scary thing is that our legacies can be defined by a single mistake. Leaders attempt to do good and make the world a better place but all of that hard work can come crashing down because of one poor decision. Moral failures hurt our ability to influence others and enact the changes that we would like to see in the world. Because of this fact, I view my life as standing on the edge of a knife; I know that any poor decision, any moral failure, could tip me over and unravel everything I’ve worked so hard to attain.

Our choices influence how we will be remembered. And even though we won’t be there to hear our own eulogies, we should want them to be good, full of reflections on the positive impacts we made in this world. Those positive impacts will be a lot easier to recognize when there aren’t any poor choices or moral failures covering them up.

What value do you see in thinking about your legacy?

Topical Tuesday 33 - Chili Cheese Fries

2010-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I spent most of the day Sunday waiting to get word from my sister that she was in labor and going to the hospital. On a day full of false alarms that call never came. As Alycia and I waited, though, she went out to get some lunch. At my request she went to The Hat and got a cheeseburger for me and we shared an order of chili cheese fries.

I know chili cheese fries are unhealthy; there is nothing redeemable about them other than their taste. But, in that moment of weakness, that’s what I wanted and that’s what we got. There are a lot of foods that are bad for me yet offer no temptation. There are other foods, though, which are bad for me and tempt me to no end. Here are some of those foods.

Chili Cheese Fries
The aforementioned chili cheese fries from The Hat are delicious. What’s not to love about French fries piled high with chili and melting cheddar cheese? The best part about The Hat’s chili cheese fries is that when the order is up, the shredded cheddar cheese isn’t melted. But by the time the fries make it to the table, the cheese has completely melted and transformed into one calorie-infested mess of tastiness.

Chick-fil-A Sauce
I don’t know how the Cathy family invented Chick-fil-A Sauce but am I glad they did. I think Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays so people can go to their places of worship and praise their deities for Chick-fil-A Sauce. It’s kind of like honey mustard but it has a smokier, BBQ-like flavor that is hard to comprehend. I think I have a better shot at understanding the expanding universe than wrapping my mind around what makes Chick-fil-A Sauce so amazing.

Coke Zero
I gave up soda for almost five years. I was drinking 20 oz. bottles of soda like children drink Frappuccinos but then quit cold turkey. For five years I basically drank nothing but water and iced tea until I visited the Coke museum; in Atlanta five years of soda sobriety came crashing down. When I first started again, I mostly drank Coke; I never had a taste for Diet Coke. Then I got introduced to Coke Zero and my world was forever changed, like when I saw Paula Abdul’s Coldhearted video and realized I liked girls. I have no idea what chemicals make Coke Zero taste so good without any calories, but I like them, even though I probably shouldn’t.

I normally eat better than chili cheese fries and Chick-fil-A sauce but sometimes I just want to be bad. We shouldn’t make poor food choices frequently, but when we do, we should make them count. Don’t waste a bad food choice on a Big Mac or Hostess apple pie; save it for a Double-Double or a piece of pecan pie.

What foods tempt you the most?

Music Monday 36 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas?

2010-12-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

Most Christmas songs are full of holiday cheer and a festive spirit. Even though we’ve heard them time and time again, Christmas songs can inspire us to really embrace the season.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year can make us believe that Christmas actually is the most wonderful time of the year.

Let it Snow can make us think that it would be a great thing for the heavens to dump 13 feet of snow.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas can make us long to be home for Christmas, in spite of the insanity that comes from family gatherings.

As I’ve been listening to Christmas music this season, I’ve noticed that one song, which should be full of Christmas cheer and merriment, actually isn’t. A song titled Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas should be a lot merrier than it actually is. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas sounds like it’s full of cheer and merriment but it’s actually composed of brokenness and tears.

In the song we’re told to have a merry little Christmas because our troubles are a very real and present reality. These troubles which are not out of sight, these troubles which are not miles away, have been darkening the months leading up to Christmas. But now that it is Christmas, we can be merry and light while making the Yuletide gay.

The song also encourages us to reflect on the “golden days of yore” because the days we are currently living are so much worse than the olden days. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is like looking through a high school yearbook and thinking that those days were so much better. Instead of inspiring us to be present in this holiday season, it asks us to reflect on the better times of yesterday: like when Wham! was making Christmas hits or Furbies were flying off the shelves.

So be sure to have yourself a merry little Christmas because, according to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, life is hard and whatever your golden days were, they are much better than today is.

What Christmas song most inspires you for the season?

Freeform Friday 19 - Zombie Jesus

2010-12-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

I’m planning on starting a new blog in January. The axiom is to write about what you know so my new blog will be focused on the intersection between Christianity and nerd culture. I’m very much a Christian and I’m very much a nerd. It’ll basically be Nerdy Stuff Christians Like but I think I’ll come up with a better name. In advance of launching the new blog, I thought I’d write some preview posts to give a flavor for its direction.

I have the opportunity to lead a number of small groups as well as have lots of conversations about Jesus. Given the opportunity, people like talking about Jesus and reflecting on who he is, what he did, what he’s doing and how he’s affected their lives. And while it may seem nonsensical, in a number of these small groups and conversations, the idea of Zombie Jesus gets brought up.

Zombie Jesus is based on the fact that Jesus died and rose again. Normally, when something dies and comes back to life, we think it belongs in Zombieland more than a children’s Sunday school class. When people start thinking about Zombie Jesus they’ll ask me what I think. I don’t think Jesus was a zombie; here are some reasons why.

1. Zombies Scare Me
I’m freaked out by zombies; they legitimately scare me. I really want to watch The Walking Dead because I hear it’s a great show. My fear, however, cripples me and keeps me from tuning in. So Jesus can’t be a zombie because he’s not scary. He’s the perfection of love, grace, compassion and peace; I’ve never seen a loving, gracious, compassionate and peaceful zombie.

2. Zombies Eat Brains
Imagine a world run by zombies. All the food: groceries, fast food and fine dining would be brain-centered. Zombie Soccer Mom would load her kids into their Zombie Suburban and head to Brain-fil-A and get some brain nuggets. (I definitely think Brain-fil-A would have a spleen mascot telling all the zombies to “Eet Mor Brayns”) Zombies eat brains but Jesus ate food. Part of his being fully human was his need for sustenance; we often see Jesus enjoying a meal with people, meals of fish and bread, not brains.

3. Zombies’ Greatest Threat is a Shotgun
If you’ve ever played a zombie video game, you know that the best way to kill a zombie is with a shotgun blast to the head. What makes a shotgun so effective is its ability to kill a zombie without much need for accuracy. I’ve shot a gun once before but I’ve been led to believe that I could survive a Zombiepocalypse with a little more cardio and a big shotgun. So Jesus couldn’t have been a zombie because shotguns didn’t exist in the first century.

4. Zombies are Dead
By their very nature, zombies are dead. Whether they’re labeled as “the walking dead,” “the living dead” or just “reanimated corpses” the focus is on them still being dead. Jesus is not still dead. In Luke 24 the angels ask Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary why they’re looking for the living among the dead. Jesus isn’t dead; he isn’t even among the dead. Jesus conquered death and gives the opportunity for new life.

I’m glad Jesus isn’t a zombie because if he was going to church on a weekly basis would be quite the traumatic experience. Also, I’m glad that Jesus isn’t a zombie because through his resurrected life we have the opportunity for a new and transformed life. And while I am glad that Jesus isn’t a zombie, it would be cool to see him do the Thriller dance.

Theology Thursday 25 - The Little Drummer Boy

2010-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Alycia and I were listening to Christmas music and "The Little Drummer Boy" came on. Alycia told me that she thought "The Little Drummer Boy" was the most theologically correct Christmas carol. I told her she was ridiculous because there is no record of there being a drummer boy in the stable with Joseph, Mary and Jesus. I also told her that a song with the word “ass” in it can’t be theologically sound. Then she gave me the look that makes me feel like a little kid who just got in trouble.

Alycia was right, though; "The Little Drummer Boy" is a simple song full of some of the most basic theology. The song is about a little boy who stands before the newborn Lord and plays his drum. He doesn’t have any other gifts to bring, just the desire to play his best for Jesus. And when we look at what we can bring for Jesus, that’s all he wants from us.

We’ve all been gifted and created with specific talents and abilities. God knit us together and gave us those talents; he just asks that we use them to the best of our ability for his purpose and his glory. I love the image of a timid boy worshipping Jesus by playing his little heart out. It’s a reminder that worshipping Jesus can be just a simple act of offering what we have to our Lord.

What Christmas carol inspires you to reflect on Jesus and your life with him?

Leadership Wednesday 27 - Big Fish in a Different Pond

2010-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

I recently had the opportunity to visit a high school to speak at its Christian club. Even though I work with high school students and enjoy speaking to people, I was really uncomfortable. As soon as I stepped onto the campus I felt like a fish out of water, like I didn’t belong, and at any moment all the students would realize I didn’t belong and mock me accordingly. In a flash I felt like a timid, nerdy freshman again, avoiding eye contact and attempting to go unnoticed.

And while I didn’t necessarily enjoy the experience, it was a good experience.

At this point in my life I’m fairly comfortable at church and in settings related to church. Whether that’s running youth group, preaching in main service, meeting with other youth pastors or going to a conference, I feel like I belong; I am confident that I’m supposed to be there. Walking around on that high school campus, though, that confidence slipped away. I realized that in a very specific pond I feel like a big fish but there are plenty of other ponds where I’m nothing but a guppy.

It’s good for leaders to spend some time in another pond and realize that we’re probably not the fish we think we are. Staying in the same pond, I can begin to get a distorted image of myself; I can see myself as a pretty big fish. I’m not a big fish, though; I’m just a small fish who feels comfortable and knows my way around a certain pond. Hopping into another pond is like a cold splash of reality; that new pond reminds me of who I really am.

But who I really am isn’t all that bad: I’m not a guppy but I’m not a marlin either. God’s the one who has placed me in the pond where he wants me, the one where he thinks I can be most effective. Any effectiveness I have, though, isn’t going to come from trying to be a big fish in that pond; it’s going to come from relying on God to use me as he sees fit.

When have you ever jumped into a different pond and felt completely out of place?

Topical Tuesday 32 - My Grown Up Christmas List

2010-11-30T09:43:00.001-08:00

When I was younger it was really easy for me to make my Christmas list. I would sit down with the JC Penny catalogue, go through it and write down all of the G.I. Joes that I wanted. That was it. The hardest part of making that list was deciding how to prioritize all of the G.I. Joes: did I want Snake Eyes more than Shipwreck?

Making a Christmas list is a little more difficult now that I’m older. It’s not difficult because I’m asking that no more lives would be torn apart or that wars would never start, it’s difficult because I have more expensive tastes and a budget to work within. When I was 9 G.I. Joes cost $4.00 so I was pretty sure I could get at least 5 or 6 for Christmas and feel really good about my presents. Now all the sweaters, watches, shoes and sunglasses I want cost more than $4.00, much more than $4.00. And on top of wanting more expensive gifts, I’ve also gotten to the point of adding items to my list that I need. That’s probably the most depressing part about being older at Christmas: toys and video games get exchanged for underwear and linens.

So here is my grown up Christmas list:

• Ray Ban Wayfarers
• A repair job for my broken PS3 (i.e. glorified Blu-Ray player)
• A new black watch, ideally a Movado but something from Diesel would do
• A bookcase
• Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve Irish Whiskey
• Steve Madden shoes
• Space Catan
• Sweaters from Express or Banana Republic
• Anything Star Wars Adidas

I’m not really planning on getting any of those items and I’m all right with that. I knew I wouldn’t get all of the G.I. Joes I asked for but it was fun to dream. In the end, in spite of my older, more expensive tastes, I’d be satisfied with a Target gift card and world peace.

Music Monday 35 - New Christmas Classics

2010-11-29T07:51:00.000-08:00

It’s the Christmas season and I finally got to start listening to Christmas music. In the days since Thanksgiving the soundtrack to my life has been filled with yuletide cheer and wintry carols. As we were listening to a holiday Genius playlist, my wife complained that there isn’t very much variety in Christmas music. I was about to object when I realized that there were four different versions of “The Christmas Song” on the playlist we were listening to.

There is so little variety in Christmas music because most new Christmas songs are terrible. There are so many viable Christmas songs, religious and secular alike, that we hardly need any new Christmas songs; this leads to a lack of variety. I’d rather stick to the homogenous nature of Christmas music, though, than embrace every artist’s attempt at creating a new Christmas classic.

However, there have been a few new Christmas songs that have crossed the line from flash-in-the-pan to true Christmas classic.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey
Released in 1994, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has become a modern-day classic. The holiday season now feels incomplete without Mariah Carey’s seminal pop offering. I worked at the Gap one Christmas and this song was on the loop; I grew to hate the song because I heard it 1,359 times during an 8-hour shift. But the song is so charged with holiday goodness, that I’ve grown to love it again. It’s also interesting to note that Mariah Carey’s husband, Nick Cannon, was 14 when this song was first released.

“Last Christmas” – Wham!
I wrote about this song last year because I absolutely love it. I wasn’t old enough to fully appreciate Wham! when they were still together but that doesn’t mean I don’t fully appreciate them now. “Last Christmas” is the perfect break-up Christmas song because it’s built upon the hope that next year there will be someone special. I can only hope that “Last Christmas” cements its status as a Christmas classic when it plays under another gasoline fight in Zoolander 2.

And that’s it. I can’t think of anymore Christmas songs that have become classics. In the past 26 years these are the only two songs that have ascended the musical Christmas tree to rest atop it like a knitted angel.

What songs have become Christmas classics for you?

Freeform Friday 18 - Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

I don’t like pumpkin pie.

And maybe you don’t like pumpkin pie as much as you think you do.

I grew up eating my grandmother’s pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving. She would bake the pies, bring them from San Diego, and while my stomach was still bursting at the seams from turkey and stuffing, I would add a piece of pumpkin pie on top. For as long as I can remember we ate pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving; it was a tradition, as much a part of the fourth Thursday of November as turkey or stuffing. My only problem was that I didn’t care for the tradition of pumpkin pie; I didn’t really like it at all.

So two years ago as I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my sister in Texas, I told her that I wouldn’t be eating pumpkin pie and would appreciate if she made a pecan pie. Two years ago I took a stand and decided that I would no longer allow my Thanksgiving dessert choice to be dictated to me by convention and habit. I made the choice to break free from the bonds imposed on me by tradition and eat something other than pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.

It has been wonderful.

Pumpkin pie is kind of gross. It’s cold. It’s mushy. It doesn’t have much flavor. I doubt that anyone would like pumpkin pie nearly as much as they do if it wasn’t so directly connected to the Thanksgiving holiday. Who in their right mind would choose a slice of cold, wet, bland pumpkin pie over a nice warm piece of pecan or apple pie à la mode?

I don’t doubt that you like pumpkin pie. But maybe you don’t like it as much as you think you do. Take away the warm, nostalgic feelings associated with pumpkin pie and what’s left? Something that came out of a can, gets dumped in a pie crust and is only made edible because of a mountain of whipped cream.

You may feel like I’m attacking your childhood but that’s only because pumpkin pie has such a strong emotional connection to the family celebrations of our past. Pumpkin pie isn’t awful but it’s made a lot better by all the memories attached to it. There are a lot of pies out there that are good enough to stand on their own without the support of nostalgia. I’m asking that you give one of them a shot next year.

How do you feel about pumpkin pie?

Theology Thursday 24 - A Theology of Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift comes from God.

Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on the many things for which we’re thankful. Thankfulness is incomplete, though, if we don’t show gratitude to the ultimate source of everything good in our lives. We can appreciate the good things in our lives and enjoy them and revel in them, but that appreciation, enjoyment and revelry should always lead back to their source: the Father of heavenly lights.

I’m thankful for my wife, but God is the one who orchestrated our meeting and marriage.

I’m thankful for my family, but God is the one who placed me there at the beginning of my life.

I’m thankful for my friends, but God is the one who gives them enough grace and patience to put up with me.

I’m thankful for my job, but God is the one who called me from one place to another at the right time.

I’m thankful for the roof over my head, but God is the one who provides for all my needs.

So in the end, anything for which we’re thankful ultimately leads back to God. He is the source and we should humbly offer our gratitude to him. If we take time to think about what we have, we’ll most likely see that we’re blessed beyond measure. The blessings we receive have nothing to do with us or our intrinsic goodness; they are rooted in God’s grace and his intrinsic goodness.

Every good gift comes from God so all of our thanksgiving should be offered to him.

What are you most thankful for this year?

Leadership Wednesday 26 - Mexican Toilets

2010-11-24T07:43:00.001-08:00

I don’t like cleaning toilets.

That’s not a very controversial statement. It’s not like I said, “I don’t like The Beatles” or “I don’t like pumpkin pie.” Nobody likes cleaning toilets. Nobody likes getting on their hands and knees and scrubbing away at the toilet bowl line that has been there since the last time there was company over. Nobody likes cleaning toilets which is why leaders have to be first in line with the yellow gloves and Mr. Clean.

I’ve been on countless short-term mission trips to Mexico with my church. I was a leader for a number of those trips and at the end of every trip we would have to clean up the mess we had made. We stayed at a church so that meant sweeping, mopping, cleaning the kitchen, washing windows, picking up trash and, of course, cleaning the bathrooms. Cleaning a bathroom is bad enough, but cleaning a bathroom that has just been used by 20 high school boys for a week would count as cruel and unusual punishment in most states. Cleaning the bathroom was the worst job, which is why I always tasked myself with leading the team that cleaned the bathroom.

As leaders we need to be willing to do the dirty jobs, the ones nobody wants to do. We have to set the example and show that, even though we’re the leaders, we’re still willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the team’s goal. When I was younger I thought that leading meant telling everyone else what to do so I didn’t have to do anything myself. I’ve realized, though, that no one is going to listen to what I say unless I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and get to work. When we dig ditches, take out trash, stack chairs, or clean toilets, we show that we’re willing to do whatever it is we’re asking of those we lead. And when we set that example, those we lead will be more willing to do what we ask, even if it’s cleaning a toilet.

When have you been more willing to follow a leader who led by example?

Topical Tuesday 31 - Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-11-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

This Thursday I’m going to eat a tremendous amount of food.

I love Thanksgiving; it is easily one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy spending time with family, I enjoy watching football, I enjoy the beginning of the holiday season but mostly I enjoy the food. I have been counting calories and watching what I eat for the better part of this year and I want that to continue through December and into the New Year. This Thursday, however, I won’t be counting calories as I enjoy all of my favorite foods of the Thanksgiving meal.

Stuffing
Stuffing is my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Some people don’t like stuffing and to them I say, “Get a DeLorean and go back in time to the Soviet Union where you belong.” There is so much difference in opinion when it comes to stuffing because there are so many different types of stuffing: cornbread, sausage, mushroom, Stove Top. I am partial to my mom’s stuffing and I’m already excited to eat it. If you don’t like stuffing maybe it’s because your mom has a bad recipe; ask me for my mom’s recipe because it’s awesome…and American.

Turkey
I think we settled on the turkey for Thanksgiving because nothing looks better sitting on a table. Norman Rockwell wouldn’t have been inspired by a rare prime rib surrounded by decorative squashes. Turkey isn’t that great but it looks good roasted, feeds a lot of people and provides days’ worth of leftovers. Fried turkey tastes better than a roast turkey and isn’t as unhealthy as you might think. Either way, turkey is good for Thanksgiving unless you’re the turkey. And, if you are a turkey, pray to your turkey gods that you get the Presidential pardon.

Cranberry Sauce
Thanksgiving is full of foods that are only consumed on the fourth Thursday of November. I have never had cranberry sauce outside of Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving leftovers. I don’t even know if they sell it year-round or of it just makes a special appearance once a year like the McRib. Either way, there is no lazier side dish than cranberry sauce. A trained monkey could serve cranberry sauce as long as he knew how to work a can opener. Cranberry sauce is an afterthought of the Thanksgiving meal, proven by its presentation in the exact shape of the can in which it was packaged.

What part of the Thanksgiving meal are you most thankful for?

Music Monday 34 - The Beatles

2010-11-22T08:00:00.001-08:00

I slept in last Tuesday and missed the hype leading to Apple’s announcement that The Beatles’ music was finally going to be available on iTunes. From what I saw on Twitter after the announcement, the announcement didn’t live up to the hype.

I have a confession to make: I don’t think The Beatles themselves live up to the hype.

I recognize that The Beatles are one of the most influential bands ever and that music today would be much different if they had never existed. That being said, I’ve just never really found the time to get into their music. I wasn’t introduced to them at an early age and, by the time I could make my own musical choices, I had already decided to make U2 the center of my musical universe.

So I find myself in a weird place of recognizing the greatness of The Beatles without actually acting upon that knowledge. I’ve got some of their songs in my iTunes but I rarely go out of my way to listen to their music. So I end up just nodding my head when people talk about how good The Beatles are without having any idea what they’re talking about.

What position do The Beatles hold in your musical universe?

Theology Thursday 23 - 10%/90%

2010-11-18T23:21:00.002-08:00

In Acts 4 we see the early church surrendering what they own to God, selling what they have in order to give to the church and meet the needs of others. As I was reading through this chapter I began to think of my own generosity to God and whether or not my possessions are surrendered to him.

By the grace of God I have been faithfully tithing for almost two years. It’s a good feeling to read through a passage like Acts 4 and realize that I have been faithful to God in my finances; he asks for 10% and he gets 10%. When it comes to tithing, I’ve always viewed that first 10% as God’s and then the other 90% as mine. Recently, though, I began to see that none of it is mine; the 10% or the 90%.

If I want to be faithful to God with my possessions and finances I can’t give him 10% and spend the other 90% on hookers. I can’t write my tithe check and then cash out everything else and hit the bar for one wild night. Everything I have belongs to God and I need to make sure that I’m spending and budgeting in a way that honors him, with the 10% and the 90%.

The 10% is easy; that automatically goes to God. It’s more challenging to look at the remaining 90% and see how God could be glorified through what remains of his provision. It may be more challenging, but it’s also has the potential to be 9 times more rewarding.

How do you strive to honor God with the remaining 90%?

Leadership Wednesday 25 - Seth Godin

2010-11-17T23:30:00.001-08:00

I was speaking with my supervisor today when he brought up Seth Godin. I have a confession to make:

I don’t like Seth Godin.

Now to be fair to Seth (not that he cares an iota what I think about him), my attitude about him is based on a single talk I heard him give at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. I may have been tired from staying up too late to watch the Cubs in the NLDS, but I wasn’t that intrigued by what he said and I was distracted by the number of images in his PowerPoint.

I’m beginning to realize, though, that I should give Seth a second chance. A lot of people I respect consider his blog a must-read every day. As a leader I need to be willing to swallow my pride, get beyond an initial impression and admit that I might have missed something the first time around. Seth Godin may end up being my own personal Yoda: I underestimated him at first but he could end up being one of my greatest teachers.

Have you ever written someone off only to change your mind and learn from him or her?

Topical Tuesday 30 - Men's Retreat

2010-11-16T22:40:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went to our church’s men’s retreat and had a great time. The only problem was that I wasn’t expecting to have a great time.

A few months ago I was invited to give two talks at the men’s retreat and I agreed (I have a hard time saying “no” when someone asks me to speak). Unfortunately, as the weekend drew nearer, I realized that my attitude about the retreat was getting worse. I wasn’t looking forward to the retreat and I was beginning to regret that I had agreed to speak. In my mind I was coming up with all sorts of excuses for why I didn’t want to go.

I was busy and didn’t want to spend a weekend away from home.

It wasn’t going to be much of a retreat for me because I had to worry about speaking.

It was going to be emotionally draining spending time with that many men and having to play “pastor” all weekend.

These excuses had left me with a terrible attitude; all last week I would complain to anyone who would listen. Then some time on Friday as I was getting ready for the weekend, I realized that I should probably have a better attitude about the weekend. My bad attitude was going to get in the way of anything good happening for me or through me and it needed to change. So I set my mind to changing my attitude and it changed.

I had a great weekend even though I wasn’t at home.

I felt refreshed from the time away even though I had to speak.

I shook off the role of “pastor” and just enjoyed myself hanging out with the guys.

We like to think that our attitudes are dictated by external forces, that if we have a bad attitude it’s because of something else “out there.” The reality is we have way more control over our attitudes than we would like to admit. We can determine whether or not we’re going to have a good attitude or a bad attitude regardless of external forces. We just have a hard time admitting that because it means we have to take responsibility for our attitudes.

And while it’s true that we have to then take responsibility for our attitudes, it’s also true that we can find the power to change those attitudes for the better. We have the power to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and change our attitudes. I’m grateful for this ability because it led me to have a great weekend at the men’s retreat, made even greater because my bad attitude had kept me from expecting it.

When have you convinced yourself to change your attitude?

Music Monday 33 - Christmas Temptation

2010-11-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

I am a tempted man.

I feel like Joseph standing before Potiphar’s wife, with her giving me the eye and that “come hither” look.

I’m not being tempted towards infidelity against my wife. I’m being tempted towards infidelity against my own standards and principles.

Over the past few years I have clearly defined my personal standard on when it’s appropriate to begin listening to Christmas music. There is a certain season for Christmas music, which begins after Thanksgiving dinner and continues through Christmas day. Outside of that time period, Christmas music should not be played and it should be avoided at all costs.

Not only have I laid down this standard for my life, but I have also been very vocal about this standard. I posted to this blog about it, I have told friends my views, I have told people I don’t know my views and I have loudly ranted against the practice of playing Christmas music too early when I hear it the day after Halloween. However, now that I have taken this firm stand, I am being tempted to listen to Christmas music early.

I want to make a Genius playlist based off of Little Drummer Boy.

I want to hear Old Blue Eyes singing The Christmas Song.

I want to pretend not to like All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey but secretly listen to it in my truck.

Alas, it’s only November 15 and Thanksgiving is 10 days away. So even though I’m being tempted, almost beyond what I can bear, I need to stay strong. I could fire up my iPod, plug in my headphones, get lost in my own personal winter wonderland and no one would know. I could compromise my standards, abandon my principles and begin listening to Christmas music right now. But like any sin, if I give early Christmas music listening that foothold in my life, who knows where I’ll end up? It starts with Last Christmas on November 15 but ends with Baby, It’s Cold Outside in the middle of July.

When do you start listening to Christmas music?

Freeform Friday 17 - The Grace of God

2010-11-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

Andy Stanley is one of my very favorite communicators; I have heard him speak numerous times at the Catalyst Conference. He brings new light to scripture as he draws insight for the Christian life and leadership that I had never seen before. Most of my interaction with Stanley’s thoughts and ideas have been within the realm of leadership, so I was excited to read a book of his that fell outside those boundaries. The Grace of God is not a leadership manual but an examination of biblical history and God’s grace which runs through it.

In The Grace of God, Stanley turns his keen exegesis to the subject of grace instead of leadership. He examines how the grace of God was present from the Garden through the early church and beyond. The book shows how God’s grace has always been present and highlights the lessons we can learn about grace from people like Rahab, Jonah and the repentant thief crucified alongside Jesus

There wasn’t anything particularly earth-shattering or paradigm-shifting in The Grace of God. The book feels like a sermon series on grace that was turned into a book. That isn’t a slight against the book; if it is based on sermons then they were great sermons. A book like this, though, seems to be more encouraging and edifying than thought-provoking and challenging. As an encouraging and edifying book about God’s grace, though, The Grace of God does superb job of examining grace biblically and applying those lessons to our everyday lives.

This book was provided for me free by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Theology Thursday 22 - Average Expressions of Love

2010-11-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” – John 12:1-8

I preached a sermon on this passage and suggested that Jesus was worthy of extravagant expressions of love. Just like Mary extravagantly expressed her love for Jesus by washing his feet with expensive perfume, we should be willing to extravagantly express our love for Jesus in any way we can. This isn’t so much a reflection of us, but a response to who Jesus is and everything he has done for us. He came to the earth, ushered in the kingdom of God and made reconciliation with God possible through his death and resurrection. Jesus has done everything for us and he is definitely worthy of extravagant expressions of love.

As I reread this passage, though, I began to realize that often times I’m not ready to give Jesus extravagant expressions of love because I’m not giving him average expressions of love. Looking at Mary’s sacrifice it’s easy to think that we should go out and do something completely extravagant and over the top for Jesus like donating a large sum of money to World Vision or signing up for a long-term mission trip. But how can I think about giving Jesus extravagant expressions of love when I’m not even giving him average expressions of love?

Reading the Bible.

Spending time in prayer.

Obedience.

These are some average expressions of love, the things that we should do on a regular basis to show Jesus that we love him. If my life has been less than obedient then how can I expect to really offer an extravagant expression of love to Jesus? What’s worse, is that if my life has been lacking average expressions of love then I might try to cover up that fact with some extravagant expressions of love.

Jesus deserves our everything because he gave his everything. Sometimes, though, we get so focused on giving him the big, extraordinary things, that we miss giving him the small, pedestrian things. Average expressions of love should be the prerequisite for extravagant expressions; if I can’t spend time in prayer on a daily basis then I should figure that out before moving onto something bigger. Something bigger only happens a few times a year, like an anniversary or Valentine’s Day in a marriage. We shouldn’t simply hold out for the extravagant expressions of love for Jesus, but should strive for average expressions of love for Jesus on a daily basis.

Leadership Wednesday 24 - Cross My Heart, Hope To Die

2010-11-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

In a recent episode of Modern Family the Dunphy family competes to see who can abstain from technology like cell phones, computers and video games the longest. To sweeten the competition the parents, Phil and Claire, promise to reward their children if one of them wins; to their oldest daughter Haley they promise a car. Much to the dismay of Phil and Claire, Haley wins the competition and expects to be rewarded with a car. As the episode ends, however, Phil and Claire tell Haley that they didn’t mean what they had said and she wouldn’t be getting a car.

As leaders, when we make a promise, those we lead expect us to follow through on that promise. Our leadership can’t be like the recently concluded elections, full of hollow promises that never go anywhere. People are jaded by politicians because they hear all the promises but never see those promises fulfilled. This promise unfulfillment is almost expected in politics but shouldn’t be present in our leadership.

When we commit to something, when we promise something, we need to follow through on that commitment or promise. If we’re unsure if we can follow through on something, then we shouldn’t commit to or promise it. It’s tempting to promise those we lead the world, to show them that we’re moving forward; but if we can’t follow through on that promise we’ll hurt our credibility and damage the relationship.

When talking about the future or the potential for whatever endeavor we’re on, we should be honest about the potential and hopeful for what’s in store. But we can’t create a false sense of momentum and excitement by promising things we’re not sure we can fulfill. As leaders we need to create a picture for the future we’re trying to create without manipulating those we lead with hollow promises and empty commitments. We need to invite those we lead to help make that future a reality and commit ourselves to them instead of some motivating but ill-conceived promise.

Topical Tuesday 29 - Call of Duty Season

2010-11-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

Call of Duty: Black Ops came out today and Twitter and Facebook were all abuzz. I was even reading tweets from people waiting in line for a midnight release so they could play it as soon as legally possible. As I laid down to go to sleep an hour before the game released at midnight, I realized that I’m not in my early 20s anymore and my life is significantly different than it was at the turn of the millennium.

In 2002 I would have been standing in line at midnight, waiting to get my hands on the newest and greatest video game. Even three years ago when Halo 3 came out, I was standing outside Gamestop until midnight, waiting to get my hands on Master Chief’s final fight. Now, though, with a career and a wife, those days seem so far away. The days of 5 hour gaming marathons that begin at 10:00pm are long gone; that’s just not my life anymore. And even though I love my life now, when I see a bunch of 21 and 22-year-olds staying up late playing video games, it makes me think fondly on that part of my life.

There’s a difference between thinking fondly on a period and attempting to recreate that period. When we try to recreate a period of time or a season of our lives, we end up neglecting our present for a past that can never occur again.

I often feel this way about ministry.

Six years ago I was in the middle of an amazing season of ministry, working alongside some of my best friends and making a difference for God’s kingdom. That was an amazing season but it’s gone; it can never happen again. And instead of thinking about those days and trying to recreate them in my current ministry context, I need see what new thing God wants to do today. I’m on a great team and God wants to use us to make a difference for his kingdom. Why would I hold onto the past when God has an amazing present and future already laid out?

What part of your past do you think about holding onto?

Music Monday 32 - SMS (Shine)

2010-11-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

It’s easy to populate a list of my favorite music videos.

Thriller. Sabotage. Take on Me. Virtual Insanity. Like a Prayer.

I think I’m going to have to make room on that list for David Crowder Band’s video for SMS (Shine).

The video is impressive for a number of different reasons. The video was created without the use of digital effects and took 2,150 man hours to complete. And while the production is impressive, I am more struck by the beauty and emotion of the video.

I can’t think of any music video which has elicited as much of an emotional response as the video for SMS (Shine) has. Sure Thriller is an amazing music video and Sabotage is hilarious, but there was never a deep, moving, emotional connection with those videos. SMS (Shine) makes me feel something. It helps me to see not only the beauty in life but also the beauty in loss. Life inevitably leads to loss, but when we lose something, the loss provides the opportunity for new life once again.

I know I’ve had these thoughts before, but to have them spurred in such beautiful and visually stimulating way almost makes them new again.

What music videos have connected with you over the years?

Topical Tuesday 28 - Nice Things

2010-10-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

I visit some websites that run special deals for certain items over the course of a few days. Depending on the day, you could find deals on clothing, toys, luggage, watches, jewelry and sunglasses. Deal, though, is a somewhat relative term. Instead of paying $80 for a pair of jeans, you might be able to spend $40; or you could get a $120 pair of sunglasses for $70. In a case like that, you could save yourself 50% on something reasonably priced. However, I was looking at some watches yesterday, and I could have bought a $2,800 watch for $1,399. That’s still 50% off but not much of a deal.

I was telling Alycia how someday it would be nice to be able to just buy a watch like that, to see a good deal on a really nice watch, and throw down $1,500 to purchase it. I like watches and I like sunglasses and I wouldn’t mind having really nice watches and sunglasses. Alycia is a much better person than me, though, and she said she’d much rather spend that money on something like a well for people without access to clean water. If I ever did but a $1,500 watch, every time I wore it, I would be reminded that I spent a large sum of money on myself instead of thinking about others first.

Looking around my apartment, I realize that there are a lot of reminders that I spent money on myself instead of thinking about others first. I’ve got books, video game systems, movies, sunglasses, watches, shoes and more clothes than necessary. How can I reconcile having nice things when so many in the world go without the basic and necessary things?

Is it wrong to have a nice watch?

Is it wrong to have a big TV?

Is it wrong to have a cool pair of shoes?

This whole year I have been wrestling with the desire I have to buy stuff. I like buying stuff; it’s so much fun. If I could, I would spend all of my money on shoes, watches and sunglasses. This year I have been curtailing that desire in order to live within a budget and have some financial peace in my marriage. However, curtailing the desire doesn’t mean the desire is gone; I still want nice things and I don’t know if that’s wrong.

It’s all rather moot at this point, though, because simplicity has been forced upon Alycia and me; all the desire in the world doesn’t mean I’m going to get a $1,500 watch or even a $150 watch. Maybe God will use this season to show me how to live simply and enjoy it, allowing me to live simply even when it isn’t a matter of necessity. Maybe God will be so productive and effective with this season, that by the end I’ll want a well in Africa more than a $1,500 watch. At this point, though, I’d take wanting them the same.

How do you reconcile having nice things when so many in the world go without basic and necessary things?

Music Monday 31 - Headphones

2010-10-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

I may be a grumpy old man but I don’t understand why people walk around wearing headphones all day. I enjoy listening to my iPod as much as the next person but not at the cost of interacting with people on a regular basis. Whenever I see someone who constantly has headphones on, I think that they’re not interested in interacting with the world around them. If I didn’t want to listen to someone or talk to someone, I would definitely put on some headphones; it’s the musical version of a “Do Not Disturb” sign. And while I sometimes feel like I don’t want people to disturb me, I don’t think it’s good to go through life always listening to headphones.

However, I have recently purchased a lot of new music and I’m having trouble listening to it all. In the past month I’ve gotten new CDs by Maroon 5, Lincoln Park, John Legend & the Roots, Ray LaMontagne and Brooke Fraser. That is a lot of new music and I haven’t really found the time to listen to it all. I had plenty of time to listen to music when I was commuting to Pasadena twice a week for school and driving around all day for work. At this point in my life, though, when I drive 10 minutes to work and sit in an office, I don’t have as much opportunity to listen to music as I once had. This reality has made me think that I should start wearing headphones all day long.

Think about it. I could plug my headphones in as soon as I woke up in the morning and never take them off. I would get 16-18 hours of listening time every day, more than enough to listen to my new music and even mix in some old music. I wouldn’t have to interact with anyone at work, I wouldn’t have to talk to the baristas at Starbucks and I could easily ignore any solicitors outside of Target. The beautiful thing about constantly wearing headphones is that I could still be heard but I just wouldn’t have to listen.

Don’t bother telling me about your day, I’m listening to someone sing about hers.

Don’t bother telling me about ways to help those in need, I’m listening to someone sing about social justice.

Don’t bother telling me about ways to strengthen our relationship, I’m listening to someone sing about love.

If I listened to music all day long, I would get to choose what influenced me; I would get to choose what input I received. And if I didn’t like the message, if I didn’t like the beat, if something was too challenging, then I wouldn’t have to listen to it. If there was any prophetic voice calling me out to change my ways and make a difference, I could just turn up the volume, look interested and nod my head in agreement.

Topical Tuesday 27 - Creating Space

2010-10-05T23:04:00.000-07:00

This evening at Endeavor I gave a message out of 1 Kings 19.

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” – 1 Kings 19:11-13

In my message I suggested that in order to truly hear the voice of God and build into our relationship with him, we needed to create space in our lives. When God spoke to Elijah he wasn’t in the noisy things, he was in the silence. If our lives are so filled with noise then it makes it almost impossible to hear the voice of God. (A lot of these thoughts have been influenced by Rob Bell’s Nooma video Noise)

So there needs to be space in our lives for God to speak; there needs to be margin in which God can work. A relationship with God simply means that we have a connection, involvement or association with him and we can’t connect, involve or associate ourselves with God on a daily basis if he is drown out by all the noise.

As I was telling the students that they needed to create space in their lives, God convicted me and showed me areas where I could create a little more space in my life. I love Twitter and Facebook; I am constantly checking them. In all honesty, most of my day is spent connected to Twitter, either through my computer or phone. While I don’t feel it’s pulling me away from God, I know it creates a lot of noise in my life. So, for 24 hours beginning Wednesday, October 6, at midnight, I’m going to create some space by abstaining from Twitter and Facebook. I don’t have any huge expectations for God to speak to me, but if he’s going to, at least he’ll have the opportunity.

What noise can you cut out from your life to create some space for God?

Music Monday 30 - Old CDs

2010-10-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

I just imported Linkin Park’s new CD into my iTunes. I held off purchasing the album on iTunes or Amazon knowing that I might receive it for my birthday. My patience paid off and I received the CD as a birthday present. Now, however, after importing the CD into iTunes, I’m left with a shiny, plastic disc that no longer serves a purpose. In fact I have whole boxes filled with old CDs, safely tucked away in their jewel cases, filling up our small garage. The compact disc is a casualty of the digital age and one of the enduring questions has to be: what do we do with all of these old CDs? Here are a few suggestions.

#1 – Keep Them

Maybe it will be worth keeping all of your old CDs. Vinyl has made quite the comeback in recent years; perhaps CDs will go through a similar renaissance in another two decades. Think how impressed the hipsters of 2030 will be when you show them the original album for Savage Garden’s self-titled debut (Who isn’t impressed by a chica cherry cola?). So just like vinyl has made a resurgence in spite of its inferior sound, lack of portability and high cost, maybe CDs will be all the rage with all the cool kids. Sure they take up a lot of space, but your collection of 90s CDs could you make you the coolest person ever.

#2 – Coaster Collection

Let’s face it: coasters are practical but lame. No one wants the condensation from their frosty beverage to ruin a table, but to place that beverage on a boring piece of wood or ceramic tile does not adequately communicate how cool you are. Imagine if your coasters not only protected your overpriced Pottery Barn end table but also told a story of your musical past. CD coasters say so much more about who you are and could even provide a talking point when you have guests. Be prepared to defend yourself, though, when someone sets their Coke down on your copy of Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish or Middle of Nowhere by Hanson.

#3 – Vigilante Justice

My large CD collection is symbolic of my own selfishness. Instead of spending $10 at a time to cure the ills of the world, I spent $10 at a time so I could listen to Third Eye Blind and Marcy Playground. It’s time for something good to come out of those selfish buying habits. I literally have hundreds of CDs which could be used in a vigilante war against crime. I’m not a billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne; I can’t afford a utility belt or batarangs. However, I already have a huge collection of CDs which could easily be fashioned into some sort of ninja throwing star. Imagine the fear that would strike the hearts of would-be criminals as a rain of CD shuriken came flying down from above. And imagine the embarrassment that would come from knowing their crime was thwarted by Jock Jams 5 or …Baby One More Time.

Those are a few suggestions for what to do with your old CDs. What do you do with your old CDs?

Freeform Friday 16 - Seeds of Turmoil

2010-10-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

The book Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright looks at the biblical roots for the conflict in the Middle East between Israeli Jews and Arab Muslims. However, while examining the biblical roots, Wright ignores the complexities involved in the situation and simply attributes 1500 years of conflict to the decision of one man: Abraham. Wright argues that the conflict in the Middle East began when Abraham, who had been promised an heir by God, went outside of God’s timing and pursued his own course toward fatherhood. Wright says that Ishmael, the son of Abraham’s effort, is the father to all Arabs; the Jews are the descendents of Abraham’s other son, Isaac, the son of promise. Wright then surmises that the conflict we see today can trace its roots all the way back to the sibling rivalry between Isaac and Ishmael.

While I believe the biblical roots contribute to the conflict in the Middle East, I think it’s an oversimplification to say that they are the only cause. Wright simply believes that God promised Abraham and his descendents the land of Israel, that it is an enduring promise, and therefore belongs to the Jewish people. Moreover, Wright says that any Bible-believing Christian cannot see the conflict any other way; as Christians we should blindly support the nation of Israel and its claim to the land in Palestine.

That is my biggest struggle with Seeds of Turmoil. As a book I think it’s poorly written. Wright repeats the story of Isaac and Ishmael five times in the first 70 pages. Wright also follows little rabbit trails in each chapter, stepping away from his main argument to address personal and pastoral issues; the reader can easily see that sermons provided the foundation for the book since it’s filled with little teaching moments that have nothing to do with its main focus. As I stated, though, my biggest problem isn’t with Wright’s literary prowess but with his pro-Israel rhetoric.

I’ve been to Israel and I loved it. I still believe that God has a very special relationship with his people; I think the covenant of the Old Testament still holds meaning today. In spite of those facts, though, I cannot blindly support the current nation of Israel, even as a Bible-believing Christian. There are deep strains of injustice running through the nation of Israel today; Wright would have the reader believe that Israel is all good and Arab Muslims are all bad. The world is far too complex for that kind of simplification and we can’t buy into any rhetoric that supports it.

Not all Muslims are bad and everything that the nation of Israel does is good. Wright focuses on the town of Bethlehem as a microcosm for the influence Islam is having on the entire world. He writes that the Christian population of Bethlehem has been almost pushed out by the Muslim population, showing the true heart of Islam. He forgets to mention, though, that Bethlehem also shows the heart of the Israeli government. The Israeli government has built a wall around the city of Bethlehem, separating it and its Arab Muslim inhabitants from any natural resources the government found desirable. There are deeper issues of injustice running through the fabric of Israel today, which makes a simple “good vs. bad” understanding impossible.

The situation in the Middle East is dire, Wright understands that, and he sees Jesus Christ as the only solution to bringing lasting peace. However, Wright believes that peace can only come when Jesus returns and sits on his throne in Jerusalem. He suggests that Christians should pray for salvation for Jews and Muslims and then pray that Jesus would return. I think that the Gospel of Jesus has more power than that; if the love, peace and justice of the Gospel are shown to the Middle East in tangible ways, I think things can get better. God’s kingdom is present and active now and we shouldn’t simply rest on our laurels until Jesus returns. We have been invited to partner with Jesus in his work in this world and, with his power and strength, that work can make a difference.

This book was provided for me free by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Theology Thursday 21 - Take Comfort In Rituals

2010-09-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

rit▪u▪al: an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.

Starbucks’ fall marketing campaign revolves around the phrase “Take comfort in rituals.” There are standees, like the one pictured, and signs all over Starbucks telling people to take comfort in rituals like pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin cream cheese muffins. It’s an ingenious marketing campaign that elevates Starbucks’ food and beverages to the level of religious rites.

I’m all for clever marketing and I do enjoy a nice pumpkin spice latte once in a while, but it feels like we’ve lost something when the rhythm of our rituals is defined by Starbucks instead of God. God commanded his people to fall in line with a rhythm of ritual.

Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. – Deuteronomy 16:16

God commanded his people to participate in three rituals of celebration throughout the year; he understood that it was necessary for humans to celebrate and reflect on the goodness of God. Without carving out the time necessary to reflect on God’s goodness, humanity could easily forget the source of all goodness and even claim responsibility for it themselves. Rituals allow us to create the space we need to acknowledge God’s provision and celebrate his goodness.

That’s all Starbucks is asking us to do, to reflect on the goodness of a pumpkin spice latte and the feelings of warmth that come from the autumnal season. If we are followers of Christ, though, we have much more to celebrate than a latte or warm fuzzy feelings. The God of the universe loves us, brought us back into relationship with him and now allows us to participate in his redemptive work in this world. And if we took the time to build in some rituals, to find some rhythms of celebration, then we’d be better able to recognize the goodness of that God and celebrate it with every breath we take.

In what rituals do you participate and why do they hold value?

Leadership Wednesday 23 - Reading and Leading

2010-09-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

“Leaders are readers.” – Dave Ramsey

I can’t remember how many books I read in high school but I know it was a lot less than I was supposed to. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy reading, I just wasn’t disciplined enough to force myself to do it. It was difficult to sit down and read when there was always a show to watch, a game to play or friends to hang out with. This lack of discipline when it came to reading continued throughout college and even seminary. I was someone who read only when absolutely necessary and, when it wasn’t, I would play video games or watch TV.

Over the past year, however, I’ve begun to realize that if I want to be an effective leader, reading is always absolutely necessary. After meeting with one of our volunteers, I realized that the insights I had to offer were the same ones I had shared two months prior. In two months I hadn’t learned anything new; there were no new ideas influencing my thoughts so I ended up sounding like a broken record. As leaders we’re expected to bring something new to the table; if we’re not learning anything new, then we’re just going to keep bringing old thoughts and ideas. The world is changing, the contexts in which we lead are changing; we need to constantly refresh our minds in order to keep up with that change. I can’t rely on the knowledge I gained four years ago to help me navigate the world today; reading keeps that knowledge fresh and allows me to approach new challenges with a better perspective.

Gaining new knowledge through reading doesn’t supplant the old knowledge, it just fills it in, makes it more robust. Just because we read the newest book on leadership development doesn’t mean we have to forget the lessons we’ve already learned from Maxwell, Jesus and Macbeth. Reading infuses our brains with new ideas which we can then incorporate into older knowledge; with that broader knowledge base, we are better prepared to interact with the world and people around us.

Leaders are readers. I just hope that doesn’t mean I have to go back and read all those books from high school; A Tale of Two Cities was really boring.

What are you currently reading and what are you learning from it?

Topical Tuesday 26 - My 30th Year

2010-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. He is one of the elite quarterbacks in the National Football League. His team has been pegged as a favorite to make it to the Super Bowl. He is 26-years-old.

As I begin my 30th year of life, when I hear about or see people younger than me who are far more successful, I often wonder what I’ve done with my life. Sure, I’ve graduated from college, earned a master’s degree, attained gainful employment and married the love of my life, but still – Aaron Rodgers is a quarterback and when Blake Mycoskie started Toms Shoes he was 30. Very often I lose sight of everything I have attained because I’m too busy looking at what everyone else has and has done.

When my vision gets out of focus like that, though, I need to remember that God didn’t put me on this planet to live Aaron Rodgers’ life or Blake Mycoskie’s. Sure, it would be sweet to be an NFL quarterback and it would be even sweeter to head an organization making a difference in the world, but that isn’t my task. Ephesians 2:10 says that God created me for works that he had planned long before Aaron Rodgers got drafted or Toms shoes became hip.

God has something in store for me.

God has a task designed especially for me.

God has gifted me to do something specifically for his kingdom.

God has done all the work, I just need to be faithful and go along with his plan for my life instead of gawking and envying the plans of others. I can’t remember where I heard it, but it was sage advice:

God didn’t create me to be the next Blake Mycoskie or the next Francis Chan; God created me to be the first Scott Higa.

I need to be faithful to that calling, trusting that God will lead me wherever he sees fit as long as I’m willing to go.

Complete this statement: “I want to be the next _____________.” Instead of focusing on being that person, how can you become the you God created you to be?

Music Monday 29 - Wake Up!

2010-09-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of time at Starbucks and while I’m waiting for them to get my coffee or finish taking my order I often peruse the CDs for sale. In the days before my budget, I would often give into the impulse to buy any CD I remotely wanted. This has proven a fruitful practice as I’ve ended up with a great Tony Bennett compilation and the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack among others. Last week as I waited for my venti iced coffee I saw the album Wake Up! by John Legend and The Roots. My impulse told me to buy it but Dave Ramsey’s voice in the back of my head told me no.

Luckily I got an iTunes gift card for my birthday and was able to pick up the album over the weekend. I’m a big fan of John Legend and I recognize the quality of The Roots, which led to my excitement over the album. Wake Up! is an album composed mainly of covers from the 60s and 70s; covers of songs that address social injustice, the harsh realities of war and the need for peace. I think it’s a great album musically but it’s the message that I really appreciate.

From what I hear on XM radio, a lot of hip hop and R&B music doesn’t carry much of a message these days. Well, I suppose it carries a message, but it mainly has to do with dancing in the club and being rich. Wake Up! harkens back to a different time when R&B music carried a deeper message about the ills of this world and the hope to repair them. John Legend and The Roots do an outstanding job of channeling artists of the past, like Marvin Gaye, to share a message that is needed today as much as it was 40 years ago. The music provides the perfect backdrop for the message; infectious beats and harmonies allow the lyrics fill your mind long after the track has ended. This staying power, then, keeps the message ruminating through your thoughts, allowing it to filter down to your soul. And a message about peace, love and justice can’t do the soul anything but good.

Theology Thursday 20 - In Visa We Trust

2010-09-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’” The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Each one had gathered just as much as they needed. – Exodus 16:15-18

God gives us exactly what we need.

For 40 years the Israelites wandered through the desert and God always provided for them. As we see in the passage above, God’s provision of manna was never too much and never too little; he always gave the Israelites exactly what they needed. God may not rain down bread from heaven for us today but we should still trust in his provision.

As I was sitting through the last session of the Financial Peace University class I led through the summer, I began to think about how God’s provision related to credit cards. A large portion of the class focuses on eliminating credit card debt, which is gained by overspending and not preparing for emergencies. And even though God’s provision is everything we need, we often think we need more and turn to credit cards. God promises to give us everything we need but when we place our trust in credit cards we’re saying one of two things: either we don’t trust that God will take care of us or we think we need more than God is willing to provide.

When we turn to credit cards for provision, we’re a lot like the Israelites when they turned to Egypt and Assyria for protection. God had promised to be their God and care for his people yet, instead of trusting in his provision, the Israelites went wandering off. They either didn’t trust that God would care for them or that the provision he was willing to provide wasn’t good enough.

Credit cards are a practical way for us to say, “God, I don’t trust you” or “God, I don’t believe you’re going to give me everything I need.” Do we really want to say that to God? And further on down the road, when the debt stacks up and we finally decide to pay it back, how much of God’s provision is going to be spent paying for our lack of trust?

“The one who gathered too much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” God gives us everything we need. How can you live that out today?

Leadership Wednesday 22 - It's My Fault

2010-09-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, the CEO of World Vision. In the book Stearns describes the unlikely path that took him to World Vision and some of his experiences while there. It seems natural that he goes on trips all over the world and sees brokenness and injustice and then comes home all fired up to work harder and make a difference in the lives of those affected. I was somewhat shocked, though, when he admitted that over time the fire dies out, the brokenness and injustice don’t seem as imminent, and he slips back into his normal routines and almost forgets about what he saw.

Can you imagine the CEO of World Vision admitting that sometimes he gets so distracted by his office work that he forgets about the needs of suffering children around the world? That would have been like me forgetting how to turn on a computer or install updates when I was working as a computer consultant. I’m not judging Richard Stearns, I think about the needs of suffering children way less than he does; I’m actually impressed by his willingness to admit his faults, especially in something as public as a published book.

A huge part of leadership is acknowledging our faults to those we lead; it’s not like they can’t see them. Faults and growth areas are a natural part of life and as leaders we need to acknowledge them and create systems in which they can’t bring us down. Stearns writes about his efforts to personally help one child and how a picture of that child reminds him of the brokenness and injustice he is working against, even in the midst of a busy office schedule. Whatever our faults we need to be humble enough to admit them and strategic enough to address them. No leader is perfect but that doesn’t mean we need to embrace our imperfections.

How have you addressed your faults and growth areas?

Topical Tuesday 25 - The Table

2010-09-21T23:41:00.001-07:00

Today is Alycia’s and my one-month anniversary. When I think about my grandparents who were married for 60 years, 30 days doesn’t seem like that much of an accomplishment. 60 years has to start with the first month, though, so it’s nice to have it under our belts. And, not only is it our one-month anniversary, but we also got our dining room table today.

It’s not much of a dining room table and we don’t have much of a dining room, but having it sitting there makes our apartment feel that much more like home. A table is more than a piece of wood with some legs where people eat; the table is central to relationships.

The table provides the central meeting location for families to discuss their days and strengthen their bond.

The table provides the context for so many late night conversations between friends, examining life and what God has in store.

The table stands as the central tradition to the Christian faith; taking part in the Lord’s Supper connects us to something larger than ourselves that stretches back, across thousands of years of the church, to Jesus himself.

The table is special. The table is central. The table is family. The table is home. And now our home feels a little more complete because of the table.

What does the dining room table mean to you?

Music Monday 28 - Budget Music

2010-09-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

I’ve got a lot of music and most of it I procured legally. Though it would be interesting to figure out how much I’ve spent on music over the course of my life, it would also be a little scary; I’m sure I’ve spent thousands of dollars on music since I bought my first CD, a Weird Al Yanovic album, when I was 13. In the past few years, with the advent of iTunes, my desire to buy new music has been gratified immediately; now with the iPhone the gratification is even more immediate as I have the power to buy almost any album in the palm of my hand. Our married budget, however, has changed all of that.

As Alycia and I start our life together we’re on a pretty tight budget. We’re not poor and one step from destitution’s door but we are living within a budget thanks to Dave Ramsey and the steps he outlines in Financial Peace. As far as that budget goes, there isn’t any money reserved for new music; it’s just not there. And while I’m more than happy to live on our budget, I’ve had to change my practices when it comes to buying new music. Gone are the days of flippantly buying whatever album I wanted; now I have to be a little more strategic in my music purchases.

Part of that strategy is hoping for iTunes gift cards for my birthday, asking friends what is really worth my money and saving up my “blow” money so I can buy the new Linkin Park album or an old Nat King Cole compilation. Maybe someday we’ll be a position where $10 on iTunes isn’t such a big deal but at this point it is, and I’m all right with that. And maybe being more strategic and more careful in my music purchases will lead me to find something truly special instead of an album I purchase, listen to once and completely forget about.

If I was going to buy one new album, what should it be?

Leadership Wednesday 21 - The Forgotten Joy of Volunteering

2010-09-15T22:56:00.001-07:00

I have been involved in ministry for the past 11 years. Of those 11 years I have been paid for five of them. At this point I still have more years logged as a volunteer than as a paid staff person; I like to think that I still remember what it’s like to be a volunteer.

I told myself that I wouldn’t forget what it’s like to have to work and go to school and then do ministry on top of that.

I told myself that I wouldn’t forget what it’s like to take a week off of work to counsel freshmen boys at summer camp.

I told myself that I wouldn’t forget what it’s like to feel guilty for missing a ministry activity that was scheduled during the middle of the day.

These are aspects of volunteering that I never wanted to forget and, for my part, I don’t think I have. However, while I haven’t forgotten the difficulties that come with volunteering on top of a busy schedule, I have forgotten the joys that come with it.

I thought that vocational ministry would make me forget the hardships of volunteering but it has done something much worse: it has made me forget the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that come from volunteering. When I was a volunteer I gladly spent 25 hours a week doing ministry, because I loved it and it was my passion. I am still passionate about what I do, but I’ve forgotten that others can be passionate without getting a paycheck.

I’ve forgotten what it’s like to do ministry for the pure joy and opportunity to impact God’s kingdom. Since I can’t remember that joy, I’m hesitant to pass responsibilities off to volunteers; I think to myself, “Why would they want to stack chairs or run PowerPoint? I’m getting paid and I don’t want to do that.” I’ve forgotten, though, that volunteers aren’t interested in a paycheck; they’re passionate about serving God’s kingdom. And that passion will push them to serve God’s kingdom, even if that means stacking chairs or running PowerPoint.

If you volunteer in ministry, why do you volunteer? If you’re a paid staff person, how do you remember the passion that came before the paycheck?

Topical Tuesday 24 - Corn Sugar (A.K.A. High Fructose Corn Syrup)

2010-09-14T23:09:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday the producers of high fructose corn syrup, the Corn Refiners Association, applied to the FDA to change the name of their product on nutrition labels. The Corn Refiners Association would like to change the name to “corn sugar”; they feel corn sugar more adequately describes their product.

The name change comes in the midst of a public outcry against high fructose corn syrup. People have begun swearing off high fructose corn syrup, blaming it for all the obesity in America. For some reason people think sugar is a healthier option and won’t contribute to obesity. Sugar and high fructose corn syrup have practically the same nutritional value; food companies just began using high fructose corn syrup because it was cheaper than sugar.

Whether soda or juices, the two biggest targets of the outcry, are sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup, they’re still unhealthy. I gave up soda for five years because I knew that high fructose corn syrup wasn’t healthy for me, just as unhealthy as the same amount of sugar. I just don’t understand the outrage over high fructose corn syrup; it is sugar and sugar isn’t healthy. Are people going to get upset when they find out bacon is unhealthy, too?

Sugar, in whatever form, isn’t that good for you. It’s full of calories and has no real nutritional value. In moderation, though, it’s fine, just like any other bad food. If parents are worried about childhood obesity, they shouldn’t ask companies to take high fructose corn syrup out of their products; parents should be the ones to take the bottles of soda and juice out of their children’s hands.

How do you eat unhealthy foods in moderation? What’s your plan?

Music Monday 27 - The VMAs

2010-09-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

The MTV Video Music Awards were on last night and the world looked on with annoyed indifference. When the VMAs first aired in 1984 they were a celebration of a new medium: the music video. Music videos were a new and exciting format, which made stars, like Michael Jackson, into superstars and permanently cemented one-hit-wonders into the national conscious. The VMAs were an immediate success, due in part to the shocking moments, but mainly because the subject of the awards, music videos, had a platform. People watching the show were emotionally invested in the nominees because they had actually seen all the videos, as MTV would constantly play them. These days, other than on YouTube, I don’t even know where I could watch a music video if I wanted to.

Here were the nominees for Video of the Year:

30 Seconds to Mars – “Kings and Queens”
B.o.B. (featuring Hayley Williams) – “Airplanes”
Eminem – “Not Afraid”
Florence + the Machine – “Dog Days Are Over”
Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
Lady Gaga (featuring Beyoncé) – “Telephone”

I have seen one of those videos and that’s because I watched it on YouTube. These days there is no set platform for music videos. When the VMAs first began, they were a celebration of a medium that MTV popularized; there had been music videos before MTV, but MTV legitimized them as an entertainment format. Now it seems, that as MTV has moved away from showing music videos, they have illegitimated the format, taking away its only viable platform. At this point it seems like MTV should stop the VMAs and begin airing an awards show for over-tanned ethnic stereotypes, teenage mothers and vapid reality stars.

There’s a good chance that this is simply a grumpy old man moment but it’s at least a justifiable one. MTV started out as Music Television and now it’s nothing more than a reality TV network with a long history. In that way, MTV is a lot like the new Cleveland Browns: a crappy organization with a storied history it doesn’t deserve.

Freeform Friday 15 - Diary of a Fat Kid, Part 02

2010-09-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago I posted my first Diary of a Fat Kid to track my weight loss. At that point I weighed 178.5 pounds and for the next three months I hovered around virtually the same weight. In fact, three months later, I weighed in at 177.0 pounds. I was probably less committed and less focused on losing weight from April to July than I had been, but in the midst of preparing for a wedding and beginning summer programming at church, losing 1.5 pounds wasn’t too bad. After July 16, though, in about six weeks, this happened.

Over the course of a month and a half, when I wasn’t counting calories, weighing myself or putting much effort into working out, I gained 15 pounds. Most of those six weeks were spent away from home: camping, Vegas, wedding and an all-inclusive honeymoon. To be honest things could have been a lot worse. It is still a little upsetting, though, that over three months I was able to maintain my weight loss but in half that time I completely obliterated it.

Now that I’m back home and no longer going on vacation or staying at a resort that will give me all the dessert I want, my weight loss program is starting to get back on track. This whole week I have been counting calories and spending time on the treadmill and the Wii Fit. It’s my hope that I can get back to where I was over the next 6 weeks, and then continue onto my ultimate goal. I’ve had a lot of friends tell me that they lost weight for their wedding and then put it all back on. I figure at this point, I gained weight for my wedding, and should try to lose it again.

Theology Thursday 19 - Size Matters

2010-09-09T22:34:00.001-07:00

I drive a pickup truck and I am often asked to help people pick up their stuff and move. When I drove a Honda Accord hatchback nobody asked me to help them move. That’s because size matters; size determines our actions. With a large pickup truck I can help people move, load up a bed full of supplies for a camping trip and pick up that new TV at Best Buy; because I have a large truck I can do certain actions. When I had an Accord hatchback, I was able to drive three people comfortably and move groceries; that was it. The size of my car limited my actions. Our view of Jesus is the same way.

If we have a large view of Jesus we’ll be able to do different actions on his behalf.

If we think Jesus is the creator of the universe…

If we think Jesus holds the entirety of creation together…

If we think Jesus changed the entre course of cosmic history by ushering in God’s kingdom…

If we think Jesus defeated sin, death, darkness and brokenness through his death and resurrection…

If we think Jesus presently works in this world to redeem and restore shattered lives and realities…

If we think these things about Jesus, which are very big things, then our actions on behalf of Jesus should strive to match them in scope. If we have a large view of Jesus, that should push us to large actions on his behalf. Not because we are great but because he is so much greater than anything we can comprehend.

If our view of Jesus is small, like an Accord hatchback, our actions will shrink to match that view. If we just think of Jesus as a cosmic teddy bear who is solely interested in making us feel less guilty and raising our self esteem, then our actions on his behalf will be just as small and narrow-minded as that image.

But if we want our actions on Jesus behalf to be large, sweeping movements that impact the entire world, then our Jesus needs to be bigger. We need to take him out of the small boxes in which we’ve confined him and let him be big: big in our lives, big in our relationships, big in our churches, big in our communities and big in our world. When we have that view of Jesus, we better understand who we’re serving, and that understanding will push us to give everything we have for the cause of our very big Lord.

What view of Jesus do you have? A pickup Jesus or a hatchback Jesus?

Leadership Wednesday 20 - 89-Years-Young

2010-09-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I went to my cousin’s wedding last weekend in Santa Cruz. It was a beautiful wedding, it was great to see my family and I was treated to my grandfather officiating the ceremony. Over the course of my life I’ve heard my grandfather preach sermons, teach Sunday school lessons and lead countless morning devotions as we prepared to eat pancakes on weekend trips to San Diego. Up until last weekend, though, I had never experienced my grandpa officiating a wedding.

I was talking to my grandpa before the wedding and I said something about how performing a wedding must be old hat by now, something he mastered long ago in his ministry career. I was floored when he told me that he was nervous because he had only done a handful of weddings in English over the course of his life; he had done numerous weddings in Spanish as a missionary, but not that many in English. My grandpa told me that he was also nervous because there were other pastors in the crowd like myself and my brother-in-law and my cousin’s husband. Can you imagine, my grandfather who has immeasurably shaped my life, was nervous, in part, because of me? I didn’t know what to say.

However, as I think about it now, even though my grandpa was nervous because other pastors, including myself, were going to be in the crowd, he is still the one teaching the lessons. My grandpa is 89-years-old, has more ministry experience than anyone I know, is the most faithful follower of Christ I have ever met, and yet was still nervous to officiate his grandson’s wedding. This weekend my grandpa showed me that you’re never too old to get a little better and you’ve never truly arrived to the point where you can’t go a little further. Even at 89-years-old, my grandpa understands that there’s always room to grow and that Christ is always worthy of the effort.

How do you continue to push yourself to grow, even when you think you’ve arrived?

Topical Tuesday 23 - Boise State vs. Virginia Tech

2010-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Virginia Tech and Boise State opened their season playing against each other last night. From everything I saw on Twitter, it was an amazing game, full of tension and excitement. Boise State ended up winning the game but that is about as much as I know because we don’t have cable.

We don’t have cable.

We don’t have satellite.

We don’t have FIOS.

As Alycia and I start our lives together, we’ve had to make some cuts in order to live within our budget. One of the first items excised from our budget was cable television. We have a very large, very nice television upon which to watch programming, but no programming for it. To be honest, I never really watched that much TV to begin with; so not having cable hasn’t made a huge difference in my life, except in the case of live sports.

It’s true I could have huddled in front of my computer and watched the game on ESPN 3 or gone to a friend’s house. However, that’s just not the same as sitting on your own couch, watching the game on your own TV, in your own home. Since I’ve gotten married, though, home has taken on a completely new meaning.

Home is making decisions together.

Home is thinking about the other person first.

Home is giving up cable because that’s what we need to do right now.

Am I bummed I missed the Virginia Tech and Boise State game? Yes. Am I bummed that home now means more to me than a place where I sleep and watch sports? Absolutely not. I know it sounds romantic and sappy, but I would gladly trade every instant classic from here on out for the home that I’ve found. That being said, I wouldn’t mind if I could sit in my new home next year and watch the BCS Bowl Games, Super Bowl, March Madness, Opening Day and NBA Finals.

Freeform Friday 14 - The Selfless Gene

2010-09-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite classes in seminary looked at the relationship between science and the church. We learned how the relationship had not always been as strained as it is these days; we learned that in the past science and the church were used to inform and advise each other to gain a greater understanding of the universe. Unfortunately, those days are long gone, and in the eyes of most observers science and the church seem to be at an impasse.

In his book The Selfless Gene: Living with God and Darwin, Charles Foster examines the relationship between Neo-Darwinists and New Earth Christians. Foster argues that while both of these groups stand on opposite sides of the spectrum, they agree on one major point: if the Neo-Darwinist view natural selection is true, then it excludes the existence of God. Foster highlights the trouble in holding onto either of these extreme views, that it doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for any new thoughts or new ideas. The book is a discussion of how to hold science and faith in both hands and live in the middle. He challenges the reader to examine some of their preconceived ideas and step beyond those to see how science or faith could expand their understanding.

While I enjoyed this book tremendously, it is not for everyone; it is written very much like a text book and contains some challenging ideas about the creation of the universe and evolution and how they relate to the biblical narrative. In the end, I think this book might be more challenging than edifying for some, which is I why I can’t really recommend it. If you are a Christian, though, and would like to read it, I suggest doing so in community; the book may be challenging but the discussion that comes from it could be tremendously edifying.

Theology Thursday 18 - God's Repuation > Mine

2010-09-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

I am very concerned with my reputation. I want people to like me. I want people to think I’m funny. I want people to listen to what I say. I want people to think I’m good at my job. Basically, even though I graduated from high school over ten years ago, I still want to hang out in the cool area of the quad and I want everyone to know my name. I’ve come to realize, though, that God isn’t nearly as concerned about my reputation as he is his.

God cares more about his reputation than he does mine.

I am reading through Hosea and the first thing that God tells Hosea to do is marry a prostitute, Gomer. I imagine the stigma of marrying a prostitute in ancient Israel would be very similar to today’s stigma. No one I know wants to marry a prostitute; who would want to marry someone who practices unfaithfulness for a living? In spite of that, though, and the damage it would do to Hosea’s reputation, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute.

Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s reputation?

Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s standing in the community?

Didn’t God know what marrying a prostitute would do to Hosea’s chances of eating lunch with the cool kids?

Yes. God understood all of these things but his reputation and his name and his glory were far more important than Hosea’s. God knew that Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute provided a living metaphor for what God’s people had done and through that metaphor God would ultimately be glorified, his name would be made greater. In the end, God cares more about his name being glorified than our own and so should we.

If given the opportunity to glorify ourselves or God, we should always choose God. He is the only one worthy of praise and his is the most glorious name. If God gives us the opportunity to grow his reputation at the expense of our own, we should take that opportunity every time; not because we shouldn’t necessarily care what others think about us, but because we should care what others think about our God more.

So any time we have the chance to give up our seat at the cool table to God, we should happily do it; he belongs there more than we do anyway.

Leadership Wednesday 19 - Dancing Pastors

2010-09-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

“Do as I say, not as I do.”

The hypocrisy inherent in this statement is fairly obvious. Sometimes children accuse their parents of exemplifying this type of attitude. Parents tell their children not to do certain activities and then turn around and participate in those very same activities. The same hypocrisy can very often be seen in leaders. Thankfully, my senior pastor, Rob Acker, is not that type of leader.

When we returned from our honeymoon Alycia and I were very interested to hear what people thought about our wedding. We enjoyed our wedding but didn’t know if any of our guests had enjoyed themselves. As we spoke with some of our guests, everyone kept telling us about Pastor Rob and his moves on the dance floor; apparently he was getting down. Alycia nor I saw Rob’s dancing, but it made quite the impact on a number of people.

I like that Rob was so freely dancing at our wedding because it set an example of celebration and taking joy in life. The weekend after our wedding Rob gave a sermon on what it means to celebrate and revel in the goodness and love of God. I’m sure it would have been a fine sermon on its own, but it had a much greater impact because Rob was so readily living it out.

Leaders need to set the example, regardless of the example being set. As leaders we often think of our responsibility to set the example in solemn and serious matters; it’s important to set the example in actions like forgiveness and attitudes like humility. But it’s equally important to set the example in how we celebrate and acknowledge God’s goodness on a daily basis.

Topical Tuesday 22 - Honeymoon Checklist

2010-08-31T07:09:00.000-07:00

Alycia and I were in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico for our honeymoon last week. Unbeknownst to us, Mexicana Airlines was facing complications from a bankruptcy and buyout, complications that eventually forced them to suspend all air travel. Fortunately for us, we flew on Alaska Airlines and wouldn’t have been trapped in Puerto Vallarta for an extended honeymoon. The situation did start me thinking about what we would have needed had our honeymoon been forcibly extended. So here is a completely PG list of what we would have needed on a longer honeymoon.

Books

Alycia and I have already turned into an old married couple and spent a lot of our honeymoon reading books. After all the busyness and insanity leading up to the wedding, both of us were more than content to sit and relax by reading. I brought four books with me to Puerto Vallarta and finished all four over the course of the week. Granted, three of them were Narnia books, but I still made it through them rather quickly. Without another book or two to read, Alycia and I would have had a lot of awkward moments of sitting and staring at each other.

Underwear

It is really humid in Puerto Vallarta, like really humid. Even in our room everything was always just a little damp, nothing was ever completely dry. So when we were outside in the heat and humidity I was sweating through my underwear and undershirts, not feeling so fresh and so clean (so fresh and so clean, clean). To make matters worse I also spent some time on the treadmill every day; after getting off the treadmill I looked like I had been competing in a wet t-shirt contest.

Pepto Bismal

The food at the resort was good, so good that I probably ate way more of it than I should have. After five days of eating large meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, my stomach started to reject me. It’s as if he said to me, “You’ve been shoving too much greasy, fatty food into me for five straight days, and that doesn’t even include all the Pedro’s Tacos from the weekend. Now, because of that, I’m exacting my revenge. Enjoy the cramps and time spent in the bathroom.” My stomach was mean and spiteful but, in his defense, my diet had consisted of beans, tortillas, cheese, meat and meat wrapped in meat.

Movies

Being the old married couple that we are, Alycia and I also spent a lot of time watching movies in our room. We watched Coraline, The Hurt Locker and Saving Private Ryan. The resort had movies to check out but most of them were more along the lines of Sex and the City than The Hurt Locker. Had we known that we were going to be watching movies, we could have packed some of our own. We could have brought great movies that Alycia hasn’t seen, like The Usual Suspects, or movies that are always good for a watch, like A Knight’s Tale.

Let’s be honest, I’m just upset that I didn’t bring Can’t Hardly Wait.

Sunglasses

I own like four pairs of sunglasses (down from the eight I used to own), but somehow I managed to not bring a single pair. Let’s think about this, I didn’t bring a pair of sunglasses to the beach. That’s like not bringing a bride to a wedding, not just like it but almost. So I was without sunglasses at our beach resort with the sun shining down upon white sand. The worst part about not having sunglasses wasn’t the bright sunlight, but the inability to inconspicuously stare at Europeans and wonder why on earth they would wear Capri pants.

Music Monday 26 - Our Wedding Music

2010-08-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

I haven’t posted a new blog since May 17. In the months leading up to our wedding, I was losing brain function at an alarming rate; unfortunately, what brain power I had left, needed to be reserved for things like my job and planning a wedding. Now that I’m happily married, though, I feel my brain coming back to me. So, in the words of Eminem, guess who’s back?

I did get married recently and I certainly don’t plan on every subsequent post to be about either our wedding or marriage. But since I’ve already discussed wedding songs, I thought I might spend some time reflecting on our wedding music and why we chose certain songs.

Procession of the Bride

Alycia and I had a difficult time selecting the song to which she would walk down the aisle. Neither of us wanted something traditional like the wedding march or “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”. I thought that Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” would be a good selection but Alycia disagreed; I think it was a sign, though, that we should have chose that song when we saw The Wedding Singer on our honeymoon. We eventually decided upon Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me”. Alycia and I both like jazz and I had always felt that “Come Away With Me” was one of the most romantic songs ever. Sure, it doesn’t have the blatant romance of “My Heart Will Go On” or “Teenage Dream”, but I’ll always think about my bride walking down the aisle when I hear “Come Away With Me”, and that’s all right with me.

Recessional

If our decision for the procession was difficult, our decision for the recessional was contentious. Before we even began dating, I told Alycia that I wanted the throne room song from the end of Star Wars played as my wife and I walked back down the aisle. In my mind I couldn’t understand why Alycia wouldn’t want that song, especially when I wanted it so badly and she didn’t really care. While it was a contentious and difficult decision, it provided a great illustration for a sermon and we eventually decided together upon “Where the Streets Have No Name”. U2 is my favorite band and “Where the Streets Have No Name” is my favorite song ever, so my musical inclinations were still satisfied. It was great to hold my wife’s hand for the first time and walk back down the aisle as the intro built; it truly was a celebratory moment.

First Dance

In our minds we both had images of a well choreographed first dance. With that in mind, we selected “The Best is Yet to Come” by Michael Bublé. We thought it would be a good song to dance to and wow all of our guests with our dancing prowess. Unfortunately, even though we had some choreographed steps, we lacked the time necessary to practice. So our beautifully planned dance dissolved into something akin to Kate Gosselin’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars; unlike her, though, we’re still not crazy. So instead of a tightly choreographed dance, we had a stumbling, bumbling shuffle across the dance floor, full of laughs and smiles, mercifully cut short by the DJ.

If you're married, what songs did you select for your wedding? If you're not married, what songs would you like played at your wedding?

Music Monday 25 - In the Club

2010-05-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Lady GaGa. Kylie Minogue. Jamiroquai. Cascada. Tiesto. ABBA. I really like all these groups and artists because I really like dance music. I like the beat, the electronic production and the general upbeat attitude. However, as much as I like dance music, I really can’t stand the club scene, like at all.

I just got back from Las Vegas, which has shed the family friendly persona it created in the 90s and embraced its hedonistic, sex-driven persona. This current persona has been partially built on the burgeoning club scene. Clubs like Pure, LAX, Tryst and Jet have become the places to be in Vegas. And while I love Vegas as much as anyone I know, I can’t understand the fascination with the club scene and culture; it has never appealed to me.

In spite of this complete lack of a desire to go to a club, I have a strong desire to listen to music played inside of clubs. There’s nothing better than cruising around town on a summer day, windows down, loudly playing something with a good beat. Dance music is intended to be played in a club, while people dance or wait to enter the club. Like an animal that thrives outside of its natural environment, though, dance music has found a home on my iPod and in my truck. I can’t explain it. I just know that Lady GaGa while I’m driving makes me happy. The thought of Lady GaGa in a club makes me sick to my stomach.

How do you feel about dance music outside of a club?

Music Monday 24 - Created to Create

2010-05-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

One of my very good friends, Luke, just released an EP last week. As I listened to the EP I was blown away by the music he had written, performed and recorded. The EP is his creation, from beginning to end. Obviously Luke had help and people who participated in the project, but he created it.

I’m not very musically inclined. I have no idea how to create anything musical. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with writing a song or creating a piece of music. My musical inability isn’t a new reality, it is just brought into starker contrast as I listen to something created by a friend I’ve known since high school.

Humans have been created in the image of God and God is a creator. It only makes sense that we should create; music is a great expression of that creativity. I envy those who can create music; I wish I could create something as powerful and beautiful as music. However, even if we’re not musically inclined, we have still been created to create, whether that’s with words, images, thoughts or ideas.

Download Luke’s EP here.

Theology Thursday 17 - Walk of Shame?

2010-04-29T08:30:00.001-07:00

Last week at Catalyst Reggie Joiner spoke about the prodigal son. I’ve obviously heard the story before, I even taught from it a few weeks ago. Joiner asked a question about the story, though, that I had never thought about. He asked: what if the older brother had met the prodigal before the father?

The story would be completely different. Instead of exemplifying love and forgiveness, the story would exemplify fear and rejection. Instead of returning home amidst celebration and grace, the prodigal probably would have turned back around, carrying away more shame and regret than he had arrived with.

Joiner’s question challenged me to examine my own life and ministry. When prodigals meet me or come to our ministry, are they meeting the loving father or the judging brother?

I know that I have experienced grace, but is my life a conduit for that same grace to others?

I know that I have been accepted into the family of God, but is our ministry accepting of any and all?

Does my life make prodigals want to celebrate or walk away in shame?

I haven’t fully thought through what this means for my life and ministry. At this point, however, I know that I don’t want to be the older brother. I want my life to lead to celebrations of grace not walks of shame.

Who in your life, because of their acceptance and love, has caused a celebration grace?

Leadership Wednesday 18 - Lead Apologizer

2010-04-28T08:54:00.001-07:00

I hate apologizing but it’s a skill leaders must learn. A few times in my life I have had to apologize to students for my behavior. It is a terrible feeling knowing that I have reacted to a student is such a way as to warrant an apology. I tell students every week how they should strive to live like Jesus, that his way is the best way to live. Inevitably I fail to reach that standard and sometimes I miss the mark when interacting with students.

When that happens, when I miss the mark and I offend a student, I need to practice the skill of apologizing. I hope to hurt or offend students as little as possible, but when I do, I have to be willing to apologize. If the students can’t see me, their pastor, making every attempt to reconcile a broken relationship, then I’m not much of a leader. This goes beyond simply practicing what I preach; this involves not only leading when I’m right, but leading when I know I’m wrong. And very often, leading when I’m wrong, involves admitting when I’m wrong and apologizing.

How does apologizing impact your leadership?

Topical Tuesday 21 - Famous to the Famous One

2010-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I went to Catalyst last week, a leadership conference for next generation leaders. There were a few highlights from the conference that will likely show up in future posts, but today I want to focus on something I heard during one of the lab sessions.

I went to a lab titled “Off the Blogs – Into the World,” which focused on allowing what happens within virtual conversations to positively impact the actual world. The speakers at the lab were Anne Jackson, Carlos Whitaker and Jon Acuff. Jon Acuff writes the blog Stuff Christians Like and is someone who I admire; I like his writing and how he created a platform for himself. Acuff shared a little of his story and how the rise in popularity of his blog pushed him one night to ask God for fame. Acuff felt that God responded by telling him that he was already famous; the God of the universe knows Acuff’s name so what other notoriety does he need?

I know that this blog isn’t going to make me famous; it’s really more about the exercise and personal practice. That doesn’t mean, though, that I don’t want to be famous; I would love for people to know my name and desire to hear my thoughts and ideas. But God already knows my name.

God has known me since before I was born.

God has known me since before I wrote my first blog.

God has known me since before I posted my first podcast.

God already knows me and that should be enough. God already knows me and loves me; he’s passionate about me and is waiting for me to turn my thoughts and focus to him. Why should I care if thousands want to listen to me talk if the creator of the universe is just waiting for me to talk to him?

I don’t need to chase after fame; I need to chase after the Famous One.

How do you respond knowing that God thinks you’re famous?

Music Monday 23 - First Date with an Album

2010-04-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

I’ve bought five new albums in about a week and a half and I’m having trouble finding time to listen to them all. New music is a lot like a dating relationship: I find myself trying to get past the awkwardness of the first few dates to see if we have something that will last.

First Date
In ancient history when I used to buy physical albums, I loved the sensation of opening the new CD as I walked out of Best Buy to my truck. There was so much excitement as I readied myself for my first date with this new album. Would I like it? Would it sound good in my manufacturer’s sound system? There is a certain anticipation when listening to a new album, whether it’s by an artist you love or someone you’re just checking out. We want to know whether or not the $10 we just invested will be worth it, if it will lead to something more. Just like, when sitting across from our date at The Cheesecake Factory, we wonder if the investment of time, money and energy is going to amount to anything.

Second Date
I contend that the second date is harder to get than the first date. Most people will say “yes” to one date because the possibilities are endless, there’s no telling what could happen. But after one date, after we see the way they twirl spaghetti or how they can’t stop talking about their collection of fur balls from their eight cats, we’re less inclined to invest time in a second date. After listening to an album for the first time, the excitement has worn off and we have to decide whether or not we’re willing to invest another hour of our time into the album. My iTunes is littered with plenty of albums that got a first date but couldn’t make it to the second date. I would like to let those albums down easy, tell them that it’s not them ,that it’s me, but that would be lying.

It’s them because they weren’t as good as I thought they would be.

It’s them because there weren’t enough catchy singles to hold my attention between the moody ballads.

It’s them because they’re not Lady GaGa.

In a Relationship
I have only been in two relationships in my life and there’s nothing better than seeing that little heart in my Facebook status that says “Scott Higa went from being single to being in a relationship.” While I am a firm believer in monogamy when it comes to my relational life, I am a polygamist when it comes to my musical life. If an album survives the awkwardness of the first few dates, I like to think that we’re now in a relationship. That doesn’t mean I’ll listen to the album every day, but I’ll come back to back to it again and again, like Bernard Slade’s play Same Time Next Year. Some of my longest relationships have been with U2’s Joshua Tree, Norah Jones’ Come Away with Me and MJ’s Thriller.

I love having a relationship with new music, but only time can tell how that relationship will end up. Will the initial excitement and sizzle lead to something more substantial, a comfortable pattern of lifelong partnership? Or will it just be a summer fling, something we look back on fondly as a symbol of our reckless youth? Who knows, but at least we have a lot of time and music to figure it out.

How do you incorporate new music into your listening habits?

Music Monday 22 - Christian Covers

2010-04-19T08:05:00.001-07:00

There is a lot of really good Christian music. I’m more than happy to listen to David Crowder Band, Hillsong United or Family Force Five. Those bands create original music with a very distinctive sound, to which I enjoy listening. Some Christian bands, however, aren’t as creative and simply release Christian covers of secular music.

I’ve heard terrible covers of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” Collective Soul’s “Shine,” and U2’s “Beautiful Day.” I understand that covers are part of the music industry, plenty of bands or artists will cover a song and release it on an EP or as part of a live album. I just don’t understand why Christian radio stations will play covers of songs they wouldn’t normally play. If U2’s version of “Beautiful Day” isn’t Christian enough, then why is a subpar cover?

While I may not be a huge fan of Christian covers, that doesn’t keep me from recognizing secular songs that are ripe for a working over by the Christian music industry. One such song is Orianthi’s “According to you.” Here are the lyrics to the first verse and chorus.

According to you
I’m stupid, I’m useless,
I can’t do anything right.

According to you
I’m difficult, hard to please,
Forever changing my mind.

I’m a mess in a dress,
Can’t show up on time,
Even if it would save my life.
According to you. According to you.

But according to him
I’m beautiful, incredible,
He can’t get me out of his head.
According to him
I’m funny, irresistible,
Everything he ever wanted.

If there was ever a song that was crying out to be covered for Christian radio, it is this song. It carries a good Christian message that, regardless of what others think about us, we have value to God. It may be a bit of a stretch to think that God thinks I’m funny or that I’m everything he ever wanted, but it’s probably still positive enough to sneak onto Christian radio.

What other secular songs need to be covered by Christian bands?

Freeform Friday 13 - Diary of a Fat Kid, Part 01

2010-04-16T16:55:00.001-07:00

Transparency breeds accountability. At least I hope it does.

I’ve lost some weight recently and, until now, haven’t really discussed it that much. There may be two people in my life who know where I began and where I ultimately want to end. Losing weight is somewhat embarrassing because it obviously means there was weight to lose in the first place. And, up until now, I was a little uncomfortable sharing how much weight I have to lose. It’s my hope, though, that my openness and transparency about my weight loss will inspire me to maintain my focus and hit my goal.

I began counting my calories with the LiveStrong application on my iPhone in the middle of December. When I began counting calories I weighed 205.5 pounds with a BMI of 32.2, which placed me in the obese category. Because I counted calories over the holidays, I was able to maintain that weight and on January 2, 2010, I again weighed 205.5 pounds. In the 15 weeks since then, I have lost 27 pounds and now weigh 178.5 pounds with a BMI of 28; according to my BMI, I am now only overweight.

My ultimate goal is to lose 50 pounds and weigh around 155 pounds. In future posts, either on Topical Tuesdays or Freeform Fridays, I’ll share my plan, my motives and some of my experiences. For now, though, I just wanted to be a little more transparent and lose the stigma and embarrassment of having 50 pounds to lose. And now I’ve added the people who read my blog to the ranks of those who can hold me accountable; it’s probably only four people, but it’s four more than I had before.

Theology Thursday 16 - Showering with God

2010-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I go through life thinking that God can only speak to me in specific places or situations.

If I’m at church then God is really going to speak to me.

If I’m at a retreat in the mountains then God is going to have plenty to say.

If I’m at a conference then God is really going to communicate his truth through the speakers onstage.

If I’m at the beach then God is going to whisper something into my heart as I watch the sunset.

Those are all great places for God to speak to me. If I think that God will only speak to me in those situations, though, then I am putting him in a box. And God doesn’t fit in a box, even if it’s a really big box.

God has been showing me that he can speak to me whenever he wants. Lately that has meant the Holy Spirit speaking to me and giving me insight while I’m in the shower. I don’t know what it is about the shower or why it’s a good place for God to speak to me. Recently, though, he has regularly used those ten minutes of shampooing, washing and shaving to give me insight into issues I’m facing or sermons I’m preparing.

I would have never guessed that God would use my daily shower as a place of revelation, which is probably why he does use it. Not only is he speaking to me but he’s also showing me that nobody puts God in a box, just like nobody puts baby in a corner.

What unexpected places has God spoken to you?

Leadership Wednesday 17 - Openness and Honesty

2010-04-14T07:49:00.001-07:00

Preaching is one of my favorite things to do and I really feel like it’s an arena in which God wants to use me. When I first started preaching my focus was on being really funny and telling a lot of jokes. While I was in seminary my focus was on doing a thorough analysis of the passage. Now, while I still like to tell jokes and want to stay true to the scriptures, I’m focusing on how I can be open and honest in the pulpit.

One of my seminary professors told me that we shouldn’t focus on ourselves during our sermons, that we shouldn’t use our own lives as an example. Recently I’ve been ignoring that advice; I have been sharing applicable stories from my own life. I appreciate openness and honesty, especially from the pulpit; it makes the preacher seem much more authentic and the lessons taught much more practical.

As a preacher and a leader I need to embrace openness and honesty. Obviously there is a balance between authenticity and giving out too much information, but I would much rather struggle with those questions than whether or not to open up at all. When we’re open and honest over a period of time, people recognize that and are more willing to allow us to speak truth into their lives. Openness and honesty lay the foundation that really allows us to build into people.

How has the openness and authenticity of another impacted your development?

Music Monday 21 - Disney Music

2010-04-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I were driving home from Lake Havasu yesterday. The soundtrack for our trip included various artists and bands from various genres. About four hours into our trip, though, we made the switch to Disney music. Everyone in the car was over 20-years-old, yet we still remembered all the words to classics such as “A Whole New World,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Kiss the Girl.” Classic Disney songs like those are wrapped in so much nostalgia that it’s easy to sing them and feel like a kid again. Listed below are a few of my favorites.

“Gaston” – Beauty and the Beast
When I first saw Beauty and the Beast I probably didn’t like Gaston very much. He was wicked, he was evil and he wanted to kill the Beast. As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve realized I like Gaston more and more with each passing year. He really is a man’s man and I’m thinking about following in his footsteps by eating five dozen eggs every morning to help me get large.

“The Circle of Life” – The Lion King
The first cassette tape I ever bought was the soundtrack to The Lion King. I remember cleaning my room and singing songs like “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and “Hakuna Matata” at the top of my lungs. I always liked “The Circle of Life” when I was growing up, but my interest in the song is growing as my wedding draws nearer. Eventually I am going to have kids and, when my first born is dedicated, I want to play “The Circle of Life” and thrust my child in the air like Simba.

“I’ll Make a Man Out of You” – Mulan
I don’t really have strong feelings for Donny Osmond either way, but I feel inspired when he tells me that I should be as swift as the coursing river. Honestly, I’m not much of a man; I don’t know much about cars or tools and I like Celine Dion way too much. But when I listen to “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” I have hope that I can have all the strength of the raging fire and be as mysterious as the dark side of the moon.

What are some of your favorite Disney songs?

Freeform Friday 12 - Taking the Fun Out of Target

2010-04-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

I went to Target today because I needed three things: sunscreen, Burt’s Bees and undershirts. I went to Target for three items that I needed and I left with only those three items. I remember when my Target trips were far more exciting.

When I was living with my parents, Target trips were like going to Disneyland. I would go to Target because I needed pens or contact lens solution, but I knew in the back of my mind I would walk out with much more than those needed items. Every time I went to Target I would get what I needed and then head to the electronics section. There was never a trip to Target when I didn’t walk out with a new CD, DVD, video game or toy. Those were the days.

Now when I go to Target and spend $100 it’s on boring items: laundry detergent, trash bags, deodorant, hand soap. Target used to be so much fun but that entertaining sheen has worn off. I still like Target, but now it’s like eating my vegetables: I know it’s good for me, but it’s just not that much fun.

What’s your favorite part about Target?

Theology Thursday 15 - Easter Afterglow

2010-04-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

I’m still feeling the effects of Easter. I wish I meant that in a super spiritual way, but at this point it’s an issue of practical life. I still feel like I’m trying to recover from this past weekend, which was very busy, and a lot of conversations at the church have revolved around Easter and all our services. At this point I feel like our church’s celebration of Easter is having a longer lasting impact than the reason for which we celebrated.

I remember saying in my sunrise sermon how much I love Easter and how much I love Jesus. Preaching on Easter Sunday those feelings are natural, that’s how I should have felt. Yet, in the days since Easter, I don’t know if those feelings have welled up within me. I want to be excited and passionate about the resurrection and its universe-altering impact every day, not just Easter Sunday. Just because we’re not having four services in two different venues doesn’t mean the resurrection doesn’t hold just as much value for me today.

Easter Sunday is significant in the life of a church, but its significance shouldn’t overshadow the resurrection or Jesus’ love the rest of the year.

I need the resurrection today as much as I did Sunday.

I need to know that Jesus loves me today as much as I did Sunday.

I need to be as willing to live my life for Jesus today as I was on Sunday.

Easter is wonderful; it’s a perfect day to celebrate the resurrection of our loving Lord. But so is every other day.

How can you celebrate the resurrection today?

Leadership Wednesday 16 - Leadership Lessons from @robackercbc

2010-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working at my church for almost three years now and I still thoroughly enjoy it. I consider myself rather blessed because I know that isn’t always the case. A lot of pastors I know feel trapped or underappreciated in their jobs and can’t seem to find any way out; I have never felt anything remotely similar to that. I wake up every day thankful for the job I have, and a lot of that has to do with our senior pastor, Rob.

Technically, I guess Rob is my boss, since he’s the one who ultimately made the decision to hire me and is the one who could ultimately make the decision to fire me. But, beyond him being my boss, I consider Rob to be my pastor and someone from whom I can learn a lot about leadership.

This week, after Easter and all the preparation put into our services, Rob made the decision to close the church office the following Monday. It wasn’t a vacation day and we didn’t have to take time off, the office was just closed. It’s not a huge deal to close the office, it’s not like the church was going to miss out on any big bids or massive sales, but it does show a lot of concern and care for staff.

Properly caring for subordinates is definitely a lesson I want to learn. At this point I don’t have that many subordinates, but those I do oversee and the volunteers I work with absolutely deserve my care and concern. I’m not really a warm, fuzzy guy, but Rob has shown me what it means to care for and pastor those God has placed in our care.

Hopefully this isn’t seen as some sort of virtual suck-up because that’s not my intention; I just enjoy when I don’t have to open a book or go to a conference to learn a leadership lesson. Rob is one of the many people I can learn lessons from; I just pray that my heart stays malleable enough to continue learning.

From whom in your everyday life do you learn leadership lessons, positive or negative?

Topical Tuesday 20 - Financial Peace Update

2010-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

My 13 weeks of Financial Peace University are getting close to wrapping up. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the class and the lessons I’ve learned from Dave Ramsey. I was telling a friend that before I started FPU I would always hear people preface statements about money by saying “Dave Ramsey says…” I would always wonder about the Kool-Aid these people had drunk and why they were such passionate disciples of Dave Ramsey. Now, after my time in FPU, I have drunk the Kool-Aid; I often find myself saying “Dave Ramsey says…,” trying to get people to believe in the principles that have changed my financial life.

I’m still a long way off from where I would like to be. However, I am making smarter decisions about my money and I’ve been able to save more than I ever have before. Pictured below you can see the status of my savings accounts.

And below you can see where I was at almost three months ago.

That’s a difference of $1,448.15. Knowing where I was, that’s a huge number for me, yet I know I’m still a long way off. However, it does feels good to have a plan in place and a goal in mind. I’m also very thankful that I’m armed with Dave Ramsey’s principles before getting married; I know that having a clear financial plan and sticking to it will make my marriage a lot stronger.

If you have any questions about the steps I’ve taken or the plan I’m on, please let me know. I’ve got to warn you, though, I’ll probably start out any answer with, “Dave Ramsey says…”

Music Monday 20 - Entrance Songs

2010-04-05T21:41:00.001-07:00

When attending a live baseball game I am always fascinated by the songs the players choose when they come up to bat. At any given game one might here a mixture of rap, rock, country and Latin music. My personal favorite was the song selected by Julio Franco. Franco played for a number of teams and chose Crystal Lewis’ song “People Get Ready…Jesus is Comin’” for when he came up to bat. I always enjoyed hearing a soft, Christian ballad amidst the songs chosen by the other players.

I don’t know if “People Get Ready” got Franco fired up to take his at-bats or if he simply liked the message but it always made me think about what song I would choose. I don’t know if I would choose a song that had a message like “People Get Ready,” a song to fire me up like “Faint” by Linkin Park or just a joke to make people laugh like “Like a Virgin.” I would probably end up picking “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 because it’s my favorite song and it does a good job of getting me fired up. I would try to work it out in my contract, though, that I would get to choose a new song every home stand. U2 may be good in April, but maybe by August I’d want to listen to Celine Dion or Justin Bieber. Just kidding, who would want to listen to Justin Bieber?

If you were a Major League Baseball player, what song would you choose to play before you came up to bat?

Freeform Friday 11 - Good Friday

2010-04-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

I feel the same way about Good Friday that I do about a memorial service for a truly committed follower of Jesus. There’s always this tension, on Good Friday and at such memorial services, between sorrow and celebration. When my grandmother passed away we truly celebrated her life and her love for Jesus, but to this day I still feel an amount of sorrow because she’s gone, because she won’t be sitting with my family on Sunday for Easter dinner. So I celebrate my grandmother’s life and what she did for God’s Kingdom, but also feel the sorrow over her absence.

I also feel sorrow on Good Friday, reflecting back upon Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. At churches all over the world, people will gather and remember what Christ did. They’ll think about the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’ trial before Pilate, Jesus’ beating at the hands of the Roman soldiers, Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary and ultimately his crucifixion, the Son of God hanging on a twisted tree. With images such as these, it’s almost impossible not to feel some amount of sorrow or to carry around the somber weight of what Christ did for us. The sorrow and weight, though, need to be held in tension with the reality that Sunday dawns and, with it, a new reality.

We shouldn’t be filled with sorrow to the point of breaking on Good Friday; Jesus already went through that. Good Friday should be a somber celebration: we recognize what Christ did, yet celebrate what his death means for us and the entire universe. Because Jesus died on a cross the world is being renewed: from the hearts of people to every corner of creation. And while Christ’s death, which initiated that renewal, is a somber reality, we need to willingly celebrate it, because it is good.

Theology Thursday 14 - April Fools'

2010-04-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let those who boast boast in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

April Fools’ Day has been around for centuries. One of the first references to April Fools’ Day came in a 1539 Flemish poem about a man who sends his servant on a number of different wild goose chases. As soon as the servant realizes what his master has been doing, the servant regards himself a fool.

No one likes to be regarded as a fool. When I hear the word “fool” I think of a court jester or someone who makes increasingly bad choices. When I call someone a “fool” it’s usually because I do not want to use a harsher word like “stupid” or “moron.” I have no desire to think myself a fool or to live my life in a foolish manner. Once again, though, my desire for my life is different from God’s desire for my life.

We’re told that God chooses to use the foolish, the weak and the lowly because the foolish, the weak and the lowly bring more glory to God. An army of 300 defeating overwhelming odds glorifies God more than an army of 25,000. Uneducated fishermen glorify God more than educated teachers of the law. A crucified carpenter glorifies God more than a conquering king. If we want to glorify God to the best of our ability then we need to be regarded as fools in the eyes of the world.

It’s foolish to think that God uses broken, weak and flawed people to fulfill his purposes, yet he does. We’re just asked to acknowledge our foolishness and brokenness, and then trust in God’s wisdom and righteousness.

How can you acknowledge your foolishness and trust God this April 1st?

Music Monday 19 - Wedding DJs

2010-03-08T23:32:00.000-08:00

One summer I went to seven different weddings. That many weddings in such a short amount of time really afforded me the opportunity to form some strong opinions about what I wanted and didn’t want at my own wedding. Some of the things I learned I wanted were a short ceremony and a location that wouldn’t be too hot. I also learned that I didn’t want to have Communion during the ceremony and I didn’t want to make my guests wait three hours while my wife and I took pictures. During that summer I also learned a lot about wedding DJs.

Wedding DJs have two responsibilities: play music and keep the party moving. That’s it. If a wedding DJ begins to tell a story, draw attention to himself or practice his fledgling stand-up routine, he has failed in his purpose. Luckily, Alycia and I seem to have found a DJ who clearly understands and embraces his role. He was the DJ for both of Alycia’s sisters’ weddings and we met with him this past weekend. I was very excited when he himself said that his role is to play music and let people know when they can get cake and when they can dance.

Obviously that dancing involves music, which is where we need a little help. We were given a piece of paper and told to pick 20-30 songs that we would like to have people dance to at our wedding. If it was up to me I would just play Thriller back-to-back three times, which is why I’m asking for suggestions. If you have some good songs for people to dance to, I want to hear them. If you think of one or two or ten songs, share them below.

Topical Tuesday 19 - The Bachelor

2010-03-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

In the interest of full disclosure, I do not watch The Bachelor. I’ve never watched The Bachelor. The most I’ve ever seen of the show is when it was on in the background at my friend’s house while waiting to watch South Park and Chappelle's Show. So I don’t know who Jake, Tenley or Vienna are; the only information I’ve gleaned from this season of The Bachelor has come from Twitter, websites mocking the show and Facebook status updates. And, from what I can tell, people are way too invested in fake romances produced for television.

Looking at Twitter and Facebook, people were not only shocked that Jake had chosen Vienna but offended that he hadn’t chosen Tenley. But should anyone really be shocked by the choices of a grown man who chooses to find true love on a television show? Jake chose to find a wife on The Bachelor; he lost all credibility before the cameras even began to roll.

People also like to defend Tenley and image her as the innocent, good girl compared to Vienna’s trashy, bad girl. But Tenley has the same misconceptions of love and marriage that Vienna does, she just didn’t get the final rose. I’ve got no sympathy for someone who thinks that they’re going to find true love on a television show.

I’m fine with people watching The Bachelor; a lot of my good friends enjoy the show. However, with any show or movie or book, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to get too emotionally invested. We should recognize entertainment as such and enjoy it. Then when the show ends, when the credits roll or we finish the final chapter, we should choose to emotionally engage with the friends, family and loved ones God has placed in our lives.

Topical Tuesday 18 - Financial Peace Update

2010-02-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Last month I started Financial Peace University, Dave Ramsey’s course on beating debt and building wealth. I just finished the fourth class last night and, in those four weeks, my finances have already changed quite a bit.

Our challenge the first week was to save $1,000 in a baby emergency fund and, as you can see in the picture below, I’ve hit that goal and even earned a little interest.

The next challenge I tackled was creating a zero-balance budget in which every dollar I make has a name. After three or four nights working in spreadsheet, I was able to create my budget and I now know where every dollar I make will go.

Tied in with the zero-balance budget was beginning to use a cash envelope system for my expenses. This system involves looking at how much I have budgeted for things like groceries, gas and restaurants, pulling out that much cash from the bank, placing that cash in an envelope, and only spending money for those categories with that cash. And, once the cash is gone, I stop spending money. The idea behind this step is that it hurts to spend cash way more than it hurts to use a debit card and people generally spend 12-18% less when using cash. So, now I’m on a straight cash system, pulling dollars out of envelopes whenever I want a latte or whenever I need something at the grocery store.

I know that it’s only been four weeks of me trying to get a handle on my finances and put them at peace, but I feel really good about the direction I’m heading. At this point I miss having my Monday nights free to hang out with my fiancée or read comics, but learning sound financial principles has been more than worth the time. It really is my hope and prayer, though, that these changes become a pattern in my life, not just some blip on the screen.

Music Monday 18 - Album of the Year

2010-02-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

The Grammy Awards were last night and Taylor Swift walked away with the biggest prize: Album of the Year. Looking at the nominees, one could argue that it was a down year for music. When Black Eyed Peas can be nominated for album of the year, it’s possible that the pool from which to select was a little watered down. I’ve nothing against Taylor Swift and I’m happy that Album of the Year was won by an artist who writes her own songs. Looking at my favorite albums from last year, though, my list is a bit different than that of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Grammy nominations were only open to albums released on or before August 31, 2009; here is my list of favorite albums from 2009 released up to that date.

U2 – No Line on the Horizon
I’m kind of shocked that U2 wasn’t nominated for that many awards. They are my favorite band and No Line on the Horizon was a good album. Not as good as Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby, but still classic U2.

Muse – The Resistance
Muse is another of my favorite bands and they never get any love from the Grammys. Black Holes and Revelations was the best album of 2006 and didn’t get a single nomination. The Dixie Chicks won Album of the Year that year. The Dixie Chicks, dude.

Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
I have seen Dave Matthews Band live more than any other band. And, while I don’t smoke weed like a good portion of their fans, I still dig their music and their crunchy groove. Big Whiskey was a great album and tribute to the band’s saxophone player, LeRoi Moore, who died from complications from an ATV accident. Of my favorites, this was the only album nominated for Album of the Year; obviously, I think it should have won. At least it got beat by Taylor Swift and not Black Eyed Peas; that would have been a tragedy.

Matt & Kim – Grand
I heard Matt & Kim on XM Radio, forgot about them, and then was reminded when I heard their songs on commercials for Bacardi and on previews for Community. It’s fun and frantic music, which I enjoy listening to with the windows down on a nice day.

Kelly Clarkson – All I Ever Wanted
My girl Kelly may not look as good as she once did, but she can still pump out some solid pop music. I should be more embarrassed to have a Kelly Clarkson album on this list, but then I remember how much I like Celine Dion.

Those are my favorite albums released last year, well at least of the albums released from January 1, 2009 – August 31, 2009. I’m not really into the indie music scene, so I’m sure I missed quite a number of great albums.

What was your favorite album from last year?

Theology Thursday 13 - RSVP to God

2010-01-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

In our Crazy Love study group we were talking about how we experience God and what that looks like for different people. We discussed how we often limit experiences of God to these big emotional moments that seem to happen often in the Bible but not very frequently in our own lives. When we limit our experience of God to huge, flashy moments, we miss out on the opportunity to experience God on a regular basis, in the pedestrian things of everyday life.

To experience God in our normal, everyday lives, I have often talked about inviting God to be a part of our day. Wherever we’re at, whatever we’re doing, we can invite God to be a part of that. If we’re driving to school, we can invite God to be a part of our commute. If we’re working in retail, we can invite God to be a part of our interactions with customers. In our group, however, my friend, Ron, suggested that it was ridiculous to think that we can invite God to be someplace since he is already there. God is everywhere, so how can we invite him to be someplace he already is? Instead, Ron suggested that we should change our perspective and thought process: instead of inviting God, into our day, we should make the effort to sit before God in all that we do.

We can sit before God on our drive to school and we can acknowledge that we are before the throne of God while working; we just have to remember that we are always in the presence of our omnipresent God. In our discussion we used the analogy of listening to a lecture: the lecture is going on whether or not we pay attention, so it is up to us to listen, respond and engage with the lecture. The same can be said about God: he is always present so it is up to us to listen, respond and engage with him.

I am not entirely sure what entering the presence of God in our daily tasks looks like, but I would like to find out. I do know that it can begin with those spiritual disciplines that are already a part of our lives. I know that now, before I sit down to read my Bible, I want to take time to truly enter God’s presence and acknowledge that I am sitting before the creator of the universe, reading his word. When I pray I don’t want to begin with a haphazard greeting, but I want to picture myself stepping before the throne of God, acknowledging is infinite greatness but knowing that he has invited me there.

How do you step into God’s presence in your daily tasks?

Leadership Wednesday 15 - Leading Through Writer's Block

2010-01-13T18:48:00.000-08:00

I woke up on a Wednesday morning to write a post for Leadership Wednesday. I sat staring at my computer, completely incapable of coming up with anything worthwhile to write. I don’t presume that I ever write anything worthwhile, but in this instance nothing was coming out, nothing at all. My mind raced through current events or conversations that I recently had, but nothing struck a leadership chord and I couldn’t think of anything to write.

After 30 minutes of blankly staring, I realized that nothing was going to come, no matter how deeply I stared at my monitor. So, I left my keyboard and went on with the rest of my day. As I was reflecting back on that experience, though, I saw a leadership lesson rising to the surface. I was unable and unwilling to persevere through my writer’s block. Since I mostly write for the practice and experience, my inability to persevere didn’t have any consequences. However, as leaders, when we fail to persevere, there may be a number of known and unknown consequences.

Perseverance isn’t an option for leaders; we must persevere. Perseverance isn’t required when things are going well and the world is as it should be, but neither are leaders. If nothing ever diminished or a opposed a vision, leaders could simply cast a vision and move on. As Bill Hybels says, though, vision leaks, and leaders must persevere even when they feel like giving up. If it’s just a stupid blog that nobody really reads, perseverance doesn’t matter. But, in the weightier issues that hold real value, perseverance is necessary, as are leaders who will see those issues through to the end.

Topical Tuesday 17 - R.I.P., Finances

2010-01-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

I never had a piggy bank growing up and, even if I had, the money wouldn’t have stayed in there long enough to make a difference. I’ve never been one to save my money very well which, at 7-years-old isn’t that big of a problem, but at 28-years-old and seven months from marriage, it becomes a much bigger issue. Knowing that I need to learn more about controlling my finances, I enrolled in Financial Peace University. FPU is Dave Ramsey’s 13-week course designed to help people save more and get out of debt.

I’m very excited for what could happen over the next 13 weeks as I learn financial principles that I have probably never even thought of. Last night was our first class and I already have my first assignment: to put $1,000 into a savings account as an emergency fund within one month. I’ve never really thought about that before, I’ve saved some money, but I’ve never given myself a goal and a timeframe to reach that goal. In all honestly, $1,000 isn’t that much money but, to hit that goal, I’m going to have to make some changes, something I am more than ready to do.

As the class began last night I sent out this tweet: “1st of 13 weeks of Financial Peace University. I should have started P90X at the same time.” Someone responded to that tweet and said I should replicate the practice of people starting P90X, by taking a before picture of my savings account and then an after picture. I’ve decided to do that and post it here; I think that will add some accountability and take away the stigma of people knowing how little I’ve saved.

If you’re interested in my progress through FPU, check back here as I’ll be writing about the experience and what I’m learning.

Music Monday 17 - First Album

2010-01-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

I got my first CD player when I was 13-years-old; it was very exciting for me. It was a large boom box proudly purchased at Circuit City, when your order would still come out of the back and down a conveyor belt. Until that point in time I had been living in a world of cassette tapes, almost wearing out the tape of the soundtrack to The Lion King. But when I got my first CD player I was ushered into a world of lasers and optical readers, which I would proudly inhabit for the next decade.

Along with my first CD player came my first CD. I had a lot of options back in 1994. The musical landscape was populated with the likes of Pearl Jam playing their grunge rock and Ace of Base trying to usurp ABBA’s throne as the most popular Swedish export not found at Ikea. Among the numerous musical choices at my disposal, though, one artist rose above all the others. The first CD I ever purchased in my life was none other than Alapalooza by Weird Al Yankovick.

In my defense, in 1994, I was firmly rooted in the nerdiest period of my life. I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation religiously, I played Magic: The Gathering every day and spent my time at summer camp that year reading the Star Trek Encyclopedia. So, in light of how I chose to live my life, a Weird Al Yankovick CD made perfect sense. I was a nerdy kid from the suburbs so I wasn’t going to be listening to Snoop Doggy Dogg and I hadn’t yet developed a crush on Lisa Loeb.

It’s a little embarrassing that my first CD was a Weird Al Yankovick album. I look back on that purchase as a significant moment in my life, though. It was the first CD I bought for myself and that purchase helped me shape my own musical identity, independent from whatever my parents listened to on the radio.

What was the first album you ever purchased?

Freeform Friday 10 - Settlers of Catan

2010-01-08T06:58:00.001-08:00

I want a new drug, one that won't spill
One that don't cost too much or come in a pill
I want a new drug, one that won't go away
-Huey Lewis and the News “I Want a New Drug”

Thankfully, I’ve never been addicted to any substance in my life, except for the laughs of children. I’ve never once had to think about going to rehab, even though it seems like it might be fun to hang out in Malibu or Colorado with a bunch of celebrities. I’ve never found myself under the power of addiction, but the game, Setters of Catan, is giving me a small glimpse of what that might be like.

Catan is a game of strategy and expansion, which is difficult to describe if never played. The game involves resources, roads, dice rolls, settlements, cities, trades and victory points. In the end, like any game, it’s about winning, and that may be the greatest addiction of all. Catan involves a lot of strategy and a lot of luck, but most everyone has a chance to win. So whether a player has won numerous times or is still waiting for that first win, there’s always the possibility that victory lies within the next game.

I’ve honed my skills and strategy by downloading electronic versions of Catan for the Xbox and the iPhone; these versions only help feed my addiction. The electronic games are like a quick fix until I can sit down at a table and test my skills against human opponents. Those human opponents, my friends, aren’t helping my addiction either; they’re enabling me by volunteering to play every time we get together. I could stop playing if I wanted to, I just don’t want to. And you can try to make me go to rehab, but I’ll just say, “No, no, no.”

To what game have you ever found yourself addicted?

Theology Thursday 12 - Change Expectations

2010-01-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

I’m starting a study group of Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love next week and I’m really excited about it. I’ve read the book before but, looking back, I didn’t invest as much in the book as I probably should have. I know a lot of people whose lives have been changed by God through that book, but I didn’t experience anything like that when I read it. I think that had more to do with my approach and lackadaisical attitude toward the book than anything else.

We should live with the expectation that God is going to work, that God is going to challenge us, that God is going to transform us. Often I find myself living without that expectation. I just go through my life thinking I’ll be the same person tomorrow, two months from now, and two years from now, that I am today; but God doesn’t view us that way. In Philippians we’re told that he began a good work in us and will continue that work until we’re complete. Unless we’ve reached completion, we should live with the expectation that God will transform us.

Maybe that means simply beginning every day with the mindset that God will change us, that there is some way, no matter how small, that we can be a different person tomorrow than we are today. Maybe it just takes a small reminder that God is doing a good work within us and we should expect to see the fruit of that labor. I don’t know exactly how live with the expectation that God can change us, but I’d like to figure it out; living with that expectation seems like a hopeful way to live.

How can we live with the expectation that God will change us?

Leadership Wednesday 14 - Mike Leach and Leadership

2010-01-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Mike Leach was fired from his position as head coach of the Texas Tech University football team. Leach was fired after allegations that he mistreated a player suffering from a concussion. There has been a lot of discussion about the situation and many fans of the football team are upset over Leach’s firing. However, there hasn’t been a lot coming from the players of their coach’s firing; none have really stepped up to defend or support their former coach.

Mike Leach is a good football coach known for inventive schemes and effective play design. However, it would seem that he wasn’t very good at leading people or getting his team to follow him. Had Leach been a more effective leader, perhaps he could have designed great plays and inspired his team to follow and support him, even after getting let go.

As leaders, there is a tremendous temptation to substitute leadership for prowess in other areas. As a pastor, I can’t allow my ability to preach or run programs to compensate for an inability to lead effectively. If we are called to lead, we need to hone and refine our leadership skills as much as every other skill required for the work we do.

How do you refine and hone your leadership skills?

Topical Tuesday 16 - More Resolute Resolutions

2010-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

It’s the New Year and people are making their resolutions. There are all types of resolutions. Some of the top resolutions every year involve getting healthier, getting finances under control and spending more time with loved ones. Unfortunately, though, most New Year’s resolutions fail. People start well then, as the initial vigor and determination wear off, patterns and rhythms slip back to normal and resolutions turn into unfulfilled dreams. The problem with most New Year’s resolutions is that people try changing their outward behavior without transforming their inner lives and hearts.

Simply changing our behavior doesn’t work. We can give up certain foods, stop spending so much money and shave some hours off of our work week, but those won’t truly change us. Unless we change our hearts, motives and intentions, eventually our behavior will slide back to normal.

If we like to eat Taco Bell every meal and not exercise, getting a gym membership isn’t going to change our lives.

If we give into every impulse buy we come across, setting up a budget isn’t going to change our lives.

If we work 60 hours a week and spend weekends alone in front of the television, trying to have a family dinner once a week isn’t going to change our lives.

Simply addressing our outward actions does nothing to meet the root issues of our motives and intentions. Addressing outward actions may work for a week or a month, but eventually we’ll become creatures of our unchanged hearts.

New Year’s resolutions are a great way to motivate ourselves toward change. Simply changing our outward actions, though, no matter how motivated we are, won’t enact any lasting change. We shouldn’t just resolve to change our actions, we should resolve to change our hearts.

Changing how we feel about and interact with food will have a longer-lasting impact on our resolution to get healthier.

Seeking to gain control over our money instead of allowing our money to control us will have a longer-lasting impact on our resolution to better our finances.

Resetting our priorities and fitting work around those we love will have a longer-lasting impact on our resolution to spend more time with those we most care about.

If we really want to change, we can’t just resolve to address our actions. We have to peel back the layers of our lives and address our hearts, which ultimately feed our actions.

What resolutions have you made? How can you address the heart of the issue and not just the outflow of the heart?

Music Monday 16 - iTunes Top Songs for 2009

2010-01-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

iTunes was one of the greatest and most influential inventions of the last decade. The ability to purchase music with the click of a button is amazing. iTunes also allows us to get a very clear sense of what was popular in music in any given year. We can feel the pulse of the year in music by looking at the top downloads in iTunes. So, for better or worse, here are the top ten downloaded songs in iTunes for 2009.

10 – “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon

I know it may not make me very cool, but I really like this song a lot. So, if any hipsters with their messenger bags and scarves want to give me a hard time for jumping on the bandwagon late, I’m all right with that. They can just find some new indie band to like until the band gets big enough to lose its indie status.

09 – “Dead and Gone (feat. Justin Timberlake),” T.I.

I’ve never heard this song but Justin Timberlake could release a record of him playing spoons and reading A Tale of Two Cities and it would still be cooler than anything I’ve ever done. Also, T.I. should work out a deal with Treasure Island in Vegas; it seems like a marketing slam dunk. He could sing this song while all the pirates and sirens (strippers dancing on deck) perform their show.

08 – “The Climb,” Miley Cyrus

Again, I’ve never heard this song. I’m going to assume it’s the follow up to Billy Ray Cyrus’ hit “Achy Breaky Heart.” This achy breaky heart might be broken, but it’s choosing to climb back up and learn to love again. Powerful stuff. Thanks, Miley.

07 – “Party in the U.S.A.,” Miley Cyrus

Back-to-back hits for Miley; she’s 17 and has already surpassed her father’s greatest achievement. If Miley grew a killer mullet, Billy Ray might as well just give up. I saw the video for this song and the boys in The Sound of Music had longer shorts than Miley.

06 – “Just Dance,” Lady GaGa & Colby O’Donis

I love Lady GaGa. I was told by a friend in April that I would like Lady GaGa and I wasn’t disappointed. I feel like I should be more embarrassed for liking Lady GaGa than I am, but all of my musical shame is reserved for Celine Dion.

05 – “Gives You Hell,” The All-American Rejects

It’s encouraging to know that the fifth most downloaded song last year is about spiteful revenge. Instead of this song, I’d much prefer the auditory equivalent of a puppy and a kitten playing with each other; that song would be much cuter. Even cuter than the dreamy lead singer from The All-American Rejects with his blue eyes and Frodo Baggins hair.

04 – “I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas

I’ve never heard this song. I hope it’s a cover version of this song, which is itself a cover.

What’s that? It’s nothing like that? Never mind, then. Why would anyone want to cover perfection anyways? It’d be like someone covering "Under Pressure." That’s right, I’m looking at you My Chemical Romance and The Used.

03 – “Poker Face,” Lady GaGa

I’m going to be honest, I like Lady GaGa but it looks like someone poked her in the face with a hot iron. I’m not the most attractive person in the world either so maybe I should adopt her strategy of wearing ridiculous outfits to draw attention away from my face. I could wear a Muppet on my head or a dress that looks like the solar system and have the number three most downloaded song.

02 – “Right Round,” Flo Rida

Flo Rida? I wonder if he’s from Wyoming. If I was going to name myself after a state I would name myself New Hampshire. That way, when someone called me “Hampshire,” I could get all offended. I’d say, “Hampshire? Excuse me, I’m New Hampshire. Don’t confuse me with that backwards little hamlet, Hampshire.” Then the person would apologize and I’d throw my ascot around my neck and storm off, swinging my riding crop in the air.

01 – “Boom Boom Pow,” Black Eyed Peas

There are people who devote their lives to finding mythical beasts. They go all over the world looking for clues that would help prove the existence of beasts like Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster. Those people are wasting their time because a group comprised of at least two mythical beasts had the number one downloaded song in 2009. Black Eyed Peas has four members, one of which is a vampire and one of which is a dragon. It’s unbelievable that there hasn’t been more commotion over two mythical beasts living, performing and recording music in this day and age. Almost as unbelievable as a song titled with three monosyllabic sounds being number one.

Topical Tuesday 15 - Michael Vick's Second Chance

2009-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-30T09:16:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-20T16:39:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-20T16:38:00.001-08:00

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?