Not that I have time for this...

The Sure and Certain Hope of the Resurrection of the Dead

2011-04-28T21:32:00.004-05:00

I came to Lincoln in August 2007. I met Dr. Robert Lowery soon after that, and he immediately said, "Call me Bob."

I had called him Dr. Lowery because reputation had preceded him, and I recognized him as worthy of respect. But I came to know that there was much more to Bob than a reputation. His reputation - as honorable, well-earned, and far reaching as it was - was barely more than a caricature of who he was.

His character and compassion have touched the pages of this blog previously. Anonymously. Now, however, I'll tell you all that one of the most encouraging things anyone has ever done for me was when Bob walked up to me in McDonald's one night and handed me $20 and said, "Dinner's on me." You see, my mom was in the hospital a hundred miles away, and I had spent several days at her side. I was drained and needed some encouragement. After we got our food, I went over and sat with him and Marilyn for a couple minutes and told him how meaningful that simple act was. He didn't know about my day, nor I his. He had just come from a colleague's office where they mourned the news of another friend's cancer. He was simply being generous - and ultimately living out the Golden Rule.

At first I was a bit intimidated by his presence in the congregation I came to serve. That was pointless and silly on my behalf, because, ultimately, he was a constant encouragement to me in my ministry.

The last conversation I had with him was about music. If you knew him, that won't surprise you. He wanted to see Mumford and Sons. He said, "If you hear of them coming to Chicago, St. Louis, or Indy, let me know - I'd like to go."

I know that God is sovereign over our passing from this phase of life, but I'll still wish I'd known Bob better and longer. I learned of his death tonight at rehearsal. We stopped and prayed. We still had to go through "I Will Rise" and "Christ is Risen" - both full of the truth that Bob was so passionate about.

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling over death by death.
Come awake, come awake - come and rise up from the grave.
Christ is risen from the dead. We are one with Him again.
Come awake, come awake - come and rise up from the grave.

Amen.

The peace of Christ be upon the Lowery, Mollet and Tanner families.

The Lamb of God - Beheld (part 1)

2009-12-04T22:25:00.012-06:00

When my youngest daughter was an infant (she's 7 now), Betsy and I headed off to an old theater in Nashville to hear Andrew Peterson's "Christmas thing." I didn't realize what a life changing experience it would be. Was it a great concert? Sure. But the significance for me - and Betsy, too - was far deeper and continues to influence us and those upon whom we inflict ourselves.

It was my first encounter with Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Jill Phillips, Randall Goodgame, Andy Osenga and Andy Gullahorn. These are artists who since then have constantly encouraged me and challenged me with beautiful and intelligent songs. (If you pay attention to my Facebook status posts, you'll see that I quote Sandra often in particular.)

It was Andrew we came to hear, though. (Bonus that the above mentioned folks, plus Phil Keaggy and 2/3 of Nickel Creek, were joining him.) Andrew, you had me from "Gather 'round ye children, come..." - the next 40 minutes were all too brief, but they were filled with truth, beauty, drama, laughter, and life.

This past week, Betsy and I ventured up to Elmhurst and found ourselves blessed again. Some of the usual suspects were with Andrew - Jill, the Andys, Ben Shive. No Derek or Sandra, though. We joked that the part of Derek Webb was being played by Brandon Heath - but certainly don't mean to disparage him. His songs and performance were captivating, and we didn't miss Derek as much as I would have thought.

The first half of the show was "in the round." Betsy and I, after living in Nashville for a decade, are well-versed in this singer/songwriter showcase technique. Basically, they each take turns playing a song. The first round of songs was very good - kudos to Andy Gullahorn's humorous distillation of the Nashville country music formula called "Working Man." The next round was more breathtakingly poignant. Gullahorn's "Someone to You" was delicate and moving. Heath's "Not Who I Was" fit right in the same vein.

It was Ben Shive's second song, "Rise Up", that resonated with Betsy and I. It begins:

Every stone that makes you stumble
and cuts you when you fall
Every serpent here that strikes your heel
to curse you when you crawl
The King of Love one day will crush them all

We just read the Last Battle by C.S. Lewis to our girls, and the bridge of Shive's song struck us very profoundly:

And when the stars come crashing to the sea
and the high and mighty fall down on their knees
When you see the Son descending in the sky
the chains of death will fall around your feet

As soon as the song was over we turned to each other and said, "We have to buy that CD." That's why she's my Betsy.

The three Andys played a final song - one of Osenga's called "I'm On Your Side." There was musical magic as they each played acoustic guitar in a different tuning or capo postition and harmonized on the chorus. But it was the lyrics that got me - a testament to a friend who displays inctedible strength through trials and how it inspires one to find new levels of devotion.

Then came the intermission. Ten minutes later the whole crew came out and started playing "It Is Well With My Soul." After an a capella ending, Andrew read these words from the Jesus Storybook Bible:

"It's like an adventure story about a young Hero who came from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne, everything to rescue the one he loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that have come true in real life.You see, the best thing about this story is--it's true.
It takes the whole Bible to tell this story. And at the center of the Story there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle--the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.
And this is no ordinary baby. This is the Child upon whom everything would depend. This is the baby that would one day--but wait, our story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning..."
(part 2 coming soon...)

25 Albums that Explain a Bit About Me - musically, at least

2009-10-12T20:07:00.001-05:00

I'm home sick with a fever and a screaming sore throat, and I will allow myself to waste a bit of time. Here they are - and not in order, per se. (I stole this idea from Chris Cooke.)

1. Chicago: Chicago 5 - This is the first record I ever bought with my own money for my own awful record player. It had horns, which I could relate to because I grew up listening to jazz. It also had one of the world's most under-appreciated guitarists in Terry Kath. Most significantly though, let me remind everyone that before Peter Cetera was a huge milque-toast pop star, he was an amazingly melodic and inventive bass player. I learned how to play bass from old Chicago albums full of catchy tunes and astonishingly adventurous arrangements. Whenever I see this album cover, I'm transported back to a cold, gray fall day and the anticipation of getting my new record home from K-mart. My mom couldn't have possibly driven fast enough.

2. Eagles: Hotel California - Pretty near perfect - too much so for some folks - but for me it was another step into rock music. In addition to jazz, I also heard a lot of country growing up, and the Eagles bridged the gap for me. My favorite moments are the ballad "Wasted Time" and the guitar solo in "Try and Love Again", but there's no way I'll change the radio station if "Victim of Love" or the guitar solo section of "Hotel California" is on.

3. Rush: Hemispheres - When I started playing in bands, all the older, discriminating musicians (who were, ironically, 16 or 17 years old) held Rush in highest esteem. It took me a while to get used to Geddy's voice, but WOW! - the bass and drums! Amazing! The lyrical material was ambitious, and the musical arrangements were heavy-yet-quirky in the best possible way. Hemispheres is my favorite, because it bridges the territory from "old Rush" to "Moving Pictures era" Rush quite perfectly. When I hear "La Villa Strangiata" I'm transported back to many awful basement jam sessions.

4. Kansas: Leftoverture - Again, this was pretty heady and progressive music, so I was drawn to it after Chicago and Rush. The lyrics were obviously written by someone on a spiritual quest, and that resonated with me. Every aspect of the musicianship was top notch. Steve Walsh may have been at his peak as a vocalist, and I don't think there is anyone who has topped him.

5. Charlie Peacock: The Secret of Time - And now for something completely different... I like to think of this as progressive pop R&B. A perfect synthesis of pop hooks, deep and meaningfully Christian lyrics, and a few unorthodox arrangements keep this one sounding fresh 21 years later. Nobody - NOBODY - has made a better album than this one, with a possible exception...

6. Whiteheart: Freedom - The best "Christian Rock" album ever made. They were never as good before or after, but the synergy on Freedom is amazing. Free from hokeyness and studio over-indulgence, the band and the songs speak for themselves.

7. The Beatles: Abbey Road - My local FM station used to play the closing medley ("You Never Give Me Your Money" through "The End) late at night. I was enthralled by the songs - meaningless ditties though they were. Catchy, well-crafted and a great balance of "real" vs. perfect. This album covers a lot of territory musically, and it's all memorable.

8. Boston: Boston - The sonic standard for all hard rock and pop metal for decades to come. I tried for years to duplicate the layers of guitars and still leave space for the bass and drums, but Tom Scholz's standards are unattainable - even by himself. He never got it any better than this one.

9. Bryan Adams: Cuts Like a Knife - One the few albums I own on record, cassette and CD. Is it pop? Yeah, but it's got a rough edge to it. Did the girls like it? You betcha. Did I try to sing like him and write songs like him? Yep. Did I have ulterior motives? Sorta - but I would've loved this album regardless of whether or not chicks dug Bryan Adams.

10. U2: The Joshua Tree - Predictable you say? Maybe, but it's the first U2 album I fell in love with. My favorite U2 song will probably always be "In God's Country" - even though I didn't really figure out what it was about until a few months ago. Epic anthems and pensive, introspective ballads full of angst, hope, desperation and truth. Lofty words are appropriate to describe this one.

11. Vigilantes of Love: Blister Soul - This one changed my life musically. Folk-rock with Dylan quality lyrics (sorry to offend you Dylan fans). I discovered that it was more important to write good songs and play them how you wanted rather than trying to find what someone else thought was right. The production is under par a few times, but the songwriting is unparalleled. If Bill Mallonee had only written "Skin" he make it near the top of my list of greatest living songwriters.

12. Vigilantes of Love: Audible Sigh - Because I really can't decide which is my favorite. I was first captured by Blister Soul, but Audible Sigh is probably a better album. The songs are just as brilliant, but the production and musicianship are far better. There are always bittersweet moments on a Bill Mallonee album, but this one is heart-wrenching in mostly good ways. Unfortunately, he had to change some lines in "Nothing Like a Train" after his divorce - and I'm likely to cry when the last verse of that one comes around.

13. Rich Mullins: A Legacy, a Liturgy, and a Ragamuffin Band - No secret that I'm a Rich Mullins fan. This is Rich at his most authentic, showing us that there's more to being God's musician than trying to wrap some cheapened "gospel" message in a crappy 3 minute pop song. It's challenging, yet reassuring. Lofty, yet earthy. Just like Rich. Just like Jesus and his Church. "Peace" is a perfect song, and my favorite musical embodiment of what happens when we meet around the Table of the Lord.

14. Andrew Peterson: Behold the Lamb of God (The True Tall Tale of the Coming of the Christ) - I heard from my friend Mark about Andrew's "Christmas thing", so the next year we went to an old theater and experienced the greatest musical retelling of the Incarnation that I have ever heard. Musical and lyrical genius. Whimsy, irony, longing, celebration, and worship. Just beautiful. "Labor of Love" stands out on an album of amazing songs thanks in part to Jill Phillips vocals, but "Deliver Us" and "Behold the Lamb of God" are equally wonderful.

15. Danny Wilde: The Boyfriend - This one was kinda like "Cuts Like a Knife, vol. 2". Danny's vocals are a bit thinner, and there are a few alt-country overtones, but this is a great bunch of pop-rock songs for the hopelessly romantic 20-something singer/guitarist in the late 80s. I wore out 2 cassettes, and found a record of it which I've yet to open. It has the distinction of being the last major label release that DIDN"T come out on CD. Too bad, because it's just as good as any Brian Adams album.

16. Bad Company: Bad Company - I never tire of Paul Rodgers' singing. This will always be my standard for a great all-around rock album.

17. Del Amitri: Change Everything - A Scottish band that is just simply not as well-known as they should be. Another PERFECT album - hook after hook, but no fluff. AND they rock, too. One of my saddest moments is when my tape got accidentally thrown away while I was moving to Nashville in '93. Don't worry - I've since gotten the CD.

18. Extreme: Three Sides to Every Story - Another casualty of the move - I've got the CD, but the cassette actually has an additional song that fills in a missing part of the story. These guys really rose above the rest of the pop metal crowd, but this was something different entirely. There was jazz and hip-hop - and even some very Eagles-meet-Pet Sounds era-Beach Boys stuff. But it mostly ROCKS. As to the story, there are three parts: Yours (politically and socially conscious songs), Mine (romantic and introspective songs) and the Truth (overtly Biblical songs). It doesn’t flow perfectly, but it’s ambitious and has a frightening amount of high points.

19. Derek Webb: She Must and Shall Go Free - From the first mandolin pick-up notes, I knew I was going to establish a long-term relationship with this album. It may be my absolute favorite album of all time, because it resonates with me on so many different levels - particularly the musical style and the theme of God’s faithful love for his Church. Two of my three favorite songs on it (“Take to the World” and “Awake My Soul”) aren’t even written by Webb, but his versions are more inspired and heart-felt than the others. It’s bold, sobering, yet not without a sense of humor. Please try to make another one like this, Derek.

20. Let's Active: Big Plans for Everybody - Lots of people are REM fans. Not going to malign them for that, but I wonder if they’ve ever heard Let’s Active. This was my favorite band for a couple years in the late 80s. Mitch Easter (the only permanent member) produced early REM albums, but really shines on his own compositions. The vocals aren’t magic like the Stipe/Mills combination, but everything else is more musically compelling than most of REM’s catalog. This album is a sprawling ‘80s college rock masterpiece. Take that, Violent Femmes and Hüsker Dü.

21. Styx: Pieces of Eight - I almost chose the Grand Illusion. Maybe even Crystal Ball. What I liked about Styx was similar to what I liked about Chicago - there were multiple lead vocalists and songwriters. Personally, I wanted to be Tommy Shaw - his songs went from folk to rock. I learned all his parts - acoustic and electric. “Blue Collar Man”? ‘Nuff said.

22. Triumph: Thunder Seven - Another one of several “concept albums” that I’ve listed. Like Tommy Shaw, Rik Emmett was a master guitarist. I preferred Tommy’s feel and tone, but I couldn’t ignore Rik’s absolute skill and versatility. Thunder Seven is the most even of Triumph’s albums, and I won’t say it doesn’t have a low point, but the way it wrestled philosophically with the concept of time was very profound to me in my pre-christian worldview.

23. Kim Hill: Talk About Life - When I heard the first song, “Inside of You”, I thought it was a new Whiteheart song. Indeed, it had 3 of Whiteheart’s musicians playing on it, but - if anything - Kim’s dusky alto was richer and more mysterious than Ric Florian’s wailing tenor, and the band was playing in a really cool, atmospheric style. I started to take female singers very seriously at this point. Check out “Snakes in the Grass” - amazing song! Two of the songs were written by a then unknown guy named Wes King, and I became a huge fan of his, too.

24. Susan Ashton: Wakened by the Wind - Hats off to Wayne Kirkpatrick (who also produced Kim Hill). This is a masterpiece of perfect folky/rocky pop songs. MASTERPIECE. The usual suspects are in the band, but they change their style on this one a bit. Susan’s voice is what I call the “girl next door” voice. There’s only a little distinctive character to it, but it’s so good you don’t care.

25. John Kilzer: Memory in the Making - My final entry, and another dark horse. This guy has an amazing gritty, soulful voice and he’s a fine tunesmith. This album was produced in a late 80s pop-rock vein, but there’s enough rough edges on it to make it quite urgent sounding. Probably better than Bryan Adams and Danny Wilde put together.

Ones that didn’t make the cut, and probably because I didn’t think about it long enough: Tonic: Lemon Parade and Sugar, Led Zeppelin I through IV, Sandra McCracken: The Builder and the Architect, Stone Temple Pilots: Purple, Jill Phillips: Nobody’s God it All Together, Brooke Fraser: Albertine, and probably dozens of others...

Can a Song Be an Instrument of Discipleship?

2009-07-26T20:22:00.005-05:00

My short answer: yes.

The longer answer...

I view songs that testify to God's nature, his work, and our response to it as vehicles to facilitate worship and discipleship. My main caveat is that these songs need to be theologically sound (i.e. biblical) and well crafted lyrically and musically. Depending on what's happening in my own little corner of the world, different songs can challenge me, comfort me, and lead me to follow more closely the One who invites me to pick up a cross and follow his narrow/easy/difficult/beautiful/harrowing/rewarding path.

Over the last couple months, and several weeks in particular, I keep coming back to an old hymn rewritten by Sandra McCracken. (It's a favorite of my wife's, too.) It tells of an all-sufficient, all-pervasive love, and a Savior who is his own reward. May it bless your journey as you follow him.

Grace Upon Grace

In every station, new trials and troubles call for more grace than I can afford

Where can I go but to my dear Savior for mercy that pours from boundless stores

Grace upon grace every sin repaired, every void restored - you will find Him there

In every turning He will prepare you with grace upon grace

He made a way for the fallen to rise; perfect in glory and sacrifice

In sweet communion my need He supplies

He saves and keeps and guards my life

To Thee I run now with great expectation to honor you with trust like a child

My hopes and desires seek a new destination

And all that You ask your grace will provide

Boredom and Adventure

2009-06-07T17:06:00.002-05:00

The Lewis family really enjoyed Up. Our reasons were different, though. The girls liked the visual feast and layers of humor ("Squirrel!"), but Betsy and I found it to be touching - both sad and heartwarming. It's full of themes of loyalty and redemption, but, most significantly for us, adventure.

A little over 14 years ago, Betsy and I crafted our own marriage vows. In addition to pledging our faithfulness regardless of finances and health, we declared our commitment to stay together through both boredom and adventure.

Betsy's grandmother thought that was just awful. Betsy and I thought it was realistic.

But we crave the adventure - we've had plenty. Mostly good. I pray God grants us even more.

Uncomfortably Numb

2009-06-06T07:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I got a call from an old friend. Her youngest brother, for reasons unknown to me, committed suicide. I took a long walk, pondered and prayed. Most troubling to me is the lack of emotion I feel. May God grant his peace--beyond my comprehension--to this family.

I confess that the idea of having peace in this time escapes my grasp on a variety of levels--except the faith I have in God's ability to do more than I can imagine. So I keep asking him to do that which he does best - the things that are beyond me.

These past few weeks have seen a convergence of seemingly grave situations in the lives of those around me. Over the past 20 years I have learned this, however: difficult circumstances can bring people to deeper levels of faith. We're instructed by scripture to face trials with joy, because they ultimately lead to godly maturity. So I continue to pray that God will protect my own family from harm - but not necessarily from hardship.

That's a topic for another day.

Jeff Street, May 24th 2009

2009-05-26T16:39:00.022-05:00

Jeff Street doesn't closely follow the Christian Year - the liturgical calendar used by many in "High Church" circles. This week was a bit of an exception - we took advantage of this being Ascension Sunday to revisit some passages in Hebrews that emphasize Christ's present role as our Intercessor - our Great High Priest before the throne of God the Father.

Dustin broke the message into three sections that dug into the implications of Christ's Incarnation (past), his Intercession (present), and his Return (future). The planning team concluded that a variety of readings and songs should be used in each section to allow us to proclaim God's truth and respond to it.

All Because of Jesus was our first song - thanks to Alex for introducing it to us.

Leading into the first point, the text that we chose was 1 John 1:1-4. I explained that John wrote this to a church that was in danger of forgetting who Jesus was, and I added the hopeful prayer "May that never be said of us."

Then Dustin began to remind us of our identification with Christ because he was not just 100% God BUT ALSO 100% man. In response we sang My Savior, My God - the lyrics of which testify not only to his death in our place, but that he "lives to be our King." Like most of the songs in this service, it fits into what I think of as the "rock hymn" genre, which suited the strengths of the singers and musicians who were accompanying the congregation.

The focal point of this week showed up in the middle section, where Dustin emphasized how Christ's perfect intercession--his loving and all-knowing prayers on our behalf--continues to strengthen us. We read Hebrews 4:14-16 in order to remind ourselves of the confidence we have in Christ's continuing work and then sang Before the Throne of God Above (I particularly like the 3rd verse):

Behold Him there the Risen Lamb
My perfect spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am
The King of Glory and of grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God

There you go - Ascension Sunday encapsulated in a song (and a beautiful one, at that).

This set the tone for the Lord's Supper - although we are unworthy, we are loved and bought, redeemed, adopted, grafted, etc. into God's family.

Dustin then focused on the encouragement Christ's return should bring us. All the things that are not right will be made right someday by the righteous might of our just and loving God. In second service, Dustin was noticeably moved as he preached this portion and my eyes were starting to get a bit damp, too.

We responded again to what God has done/is doing/will do by singing Hallelujah! What a Saviour. The verses were written in 1875 by Phillip R. Bliss, and they focus mostly on Christ's death in our place, but they also speak of his resurrection and ascension and return. (In the first service we began experiencing some technical problems - more on that later.)

A time of reflection followed, as the music team performed Somewhere in the Middle. The song paints a picture of the lukewarm, distracted, uncommitted existence so many people dwell in and even the Church so easily falls into. Our challenge is to live lives of faith, wholly devoted to God. This led into Christ's call to follow him from Luke 9:23-25.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"

Jesus doesn't give us much room for staying in that supposedly safe middle ground.

Jesus Paid It All was the last song we sang. Certainly a great old hymn, but the new ending refrain is simple and powerful: "O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead."

As a final reminder of who we once were and who we have now become in Christ, we read Ephesians 2:1-10.

Now, about the technical difficulties in first service: after the first couple songs it became obvious that the bass guitar wasn't working. This caused a bit of a domino effect - mostly on my part as I tried to play more low notes than I had originally planned. I'm glad we're not often subjected to equipment failures, computer glitches and the like. When they do occur, the folks on stage and in the sound booth usually cover so well that most people don't notice - this week I'm afraid it was a noticeable distraction. My apologies.

The encouragement I found was in the way that the team came together to solve the problem. I thanked God for surrounding me with such helpful people as we performed electronic surgery with a soldering iron backstage. May we all encourage others by working so selflessly together.

Finally, let me encourage you to leave any comments or ask any questions you'd like. I plan on writing these articles at least for the summer, and your input will help me to improve.

Enamored of a Song

2009-05-21T16:46:00.005-05:00

I thought it was full
But it was halfway to the top
Love is an ocean and I am a tiny cup

And it's taken me over
Taken me over
And the heart I thought was full was halfway

I've been a fan of Sandra McCracken for a couple years now, but today a song I'd heard before has new meaning for me. When asked, I pretty consistently tell folks that my life is full, and I am blessed and thankful. This has been a week of immeasurable fullness - good, bad and everything in between.

This week I have beheld the surprising splendor of God's redemptive power in the life of one of his Beloved. This week I have more deeply realized what treasures are entrusted to me as the husband and father of my precious girls. This week I learned of the hardships and struggles of others dear to me, from job loss to cancer.

I often struggle to get alone with God and pray. Not this week. God has tangibly drawn me to him.

Sounds strange, I know. Would've sounded strange to me a week ago, too. But that was before I learned that the heart I thought was full was only halfway.

Watch the video of "Halfway" by Sandra McCracken

Making a set list

2009-05-05T22:01:00.003-05:00

I'm picking songs for a benefit Friday night. Coffeehouse mode, me thinks. Fifteen minutes to fill - call it 4, maybe 5, songs. Just me and a guitar (or two for alternate tunings). Just doing songs I really like. Songs that I don't have to think too much about.

Possibilities:

No Easy Answers (Kathleen Howell)
Skin (Bill Mallonee)
Double Cure (ibid.)
Beloved (Derek Webb)
With Apologies to Thomas (me)
Just As I Am (Andrew Peterson)
Serve Hymn (ibid.)
Refuge (Matthew Perryman Jones)
Every Grain of Sand (Dylan)

Any other ideas?

(Got a song for me, John?)

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya...

2009-03-24T18:50:00.003-05:00

I've heard this phrase in several leadership/management classes/seminars:

"You're not a leader unless someone is following you."

This makes me wonder: Are you a teacher if noone is learning from you?

In our American low-church culture we assign the title of teacher to folks who are officially in charge of a class or small group. We also consider those who are able to regurgitate vast amounts of information to be "gifted" as teachers. To paraphrase Inigo Montoya, "We keep using that word. I do not think it means what we think it means."

I think that many who we call teacher fall into one of these two categories:

1. Those who accept a position as teacher because they feel like they really should be doing something.

2. Those who have an innate ability to store innumerable facts in their grey matter and call it up on request (or on a misguided whim).

Perhaps we need to consider how to nurture, equip and motivate those who have a heart for imparting truth: those who might actually teach those who seek to learn from them. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I suspect that it's worth pondering. Don't you?

The Return

2009-02-27T21:02:00.005-06:00

I'm back.

Not that I've been gone. Just busy. I don't like being busy.

You see, I'm the pondering sort; the reflective type; the one who likes to process things mentally, emotionally, and spiritually (not to mention relationally).

What I am becoming more aware of now are the the thematic links that God weaves into our journey. For example: Alex (Mr. Intern #1) and I have been reading The Divine Conspiracy. Willard (the author) is going to great lengths to build his case for Jesus coming for more than just the answer to "how do I go to heaven when I die?" (There is indeed more to being a Christian than being forgiven.) I then notice that Dustin is closing his sermon with "Because Jesus has offered forgiveness to us, we can be empowered to live an inside-out kind of life."

Indeed. There's life abundant. A life where the Living God joins with us on a journey that does not end with time; a life even now that is beyond our imagining. It's not meant to sound grandiose--I mean that life is more and more real when lived in fellowship with Reality and those who have also caught a glimpse of him and follow the narrow (yet winding and beautiful) path.

On the Third Day of Christmas...

2008-12-28T16:20:00.003-06:00

...my True Love gave to me: three french hens?

Faith. Cluck.

Hope. Cluck.

Love. Cluck.

This was our memory verse last week: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

There's another option with three gifts in the mix: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Today the ornament was the True Vine, and the girls read the verse and devotion during worship with our church today. They even remembered the scripture tonight. Wow.

Oh - and after lunch we read my favorite chapter of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, where we learn about the identity and something of the nature of Aslan. Safe? No, but he's good.

Remind you of anyone?

On the Second Day of Christmas...

2008-12-27T22:16:00.002-06:00

...my True Love gave to me: two turtledoves. Some say those doves are directly representative of the doves that Joseph and Mary offered at the Temple after Jesus' birth. Some say they represent the Old and New Testaments. Perhaps it is both. Law and grace are both evident in the life of Christ at every turn. He came to fulfill the Law, so how fitting that this smallest of sacrifices was made so soon after his coming.

Tonight we also hung the Door ornament on the tree, remembering that Jesus is the Gate (or Door) for the sheep (see John 10).

I missed the chance to read Narnia because of a rehearsal, but my youngest daughter didn't want to read it without me because it's my favorite chapter: What Happened After Dinner

So tomorrow I have much to look forward to!

'Twas the 1st Day of Christmas...

2008-12-26T20:48:00.004-06:00

...and we hung the Immanuel ornament on the tree.

...and we remembered that a partridge shelters its young under its wings, just as God shelters us under his.

...and we listened as Linus shared the true meaning of Christmas with Charlie Brown.

...and we read that Mr. Beaver heard that Aslan is on the the move.

I love these twelve days, for although every day is Christmas (is Easter, is Pentecost, etc.), these days we celebrate the incarnation: the virgin birth (virgin conception, no less), the skies above humble shepherds filled with herald angels, the obedience of noble Joseph and blessed Mary, the humility of the Word made flesh who made his dwelling among us.

It's Gotcha Day!

2008-11-07T08:38:00.011-06:00

Five years ago today my oldest daughter finally came home.

A 2 year wait had turned into 4 1/2 years because of changing laws. Whenever we considered giving up we were overwhelmed with sadness. It felt like death. Our youngest daughter was born in 2003, and blessed us beyond explanation, but still we missed her sister - whom we had never met, yet had loved for so long.

Then we got the news: "Your time has finally come." A few pictures were smuggled out of an orphanage and sent to us via email.
Six weeks later, the three Lewises who lived in Tennessee traveled to meet the fourth Lewis. We lived in an orphanage together for two weeks and became a family.

Then we had to part.

It was The Saddest Day.

Another 10 weeks passed before we were at last reunited, met at the airport by 45 friends - including this ad hoc welcoming committee of kids adopted from the same country years earlier.

So today Betsy will bring home an ice-cream cake (Gotcha Day tradition) and we will look at pictures and video and tell the story - full of joy, gratitude, and hope.

Speak correctly->think correctly->live correctly.

2008-10-17T22:02:00.003-05:00

Fellowship ≠ food eaten at a function listed in the church newsletter.

Worship ≠ the musical portion of a Sunday morning gathering.

Church ≠ a building for Christians to fellowship and worship in.

...and heaven is NOT where your soul goes to be with Jesus and Grandma to live happily ever after.

Where do we get this stuff? Does anyone share my frustration?

I caught a glimpse...

2008-10-02T19:32:00.012-05:00

That's what L.C. Sutton said as he began his message during the Together For Lincoln celebration.

We caught a glimpse of what unity in Christ looks like with 1,000 people from 13 different churches building wheelchair ramps, visiting the aged, picking up trash, painting playground equipment and doing scores of other things - together.

We caught a glimpse of the worship before God's throne as 1,000 believers joined together in song and prayer. Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Methodists, and others praised God as Christians only - and at least for one night we caught a glimpse.

For my part, I was privileged to serve with an amazing bunch of singers, musicians and technicians. Thanks to Tom Sowers and his crew from Lincoln Christian College for putting together this video. The soundtrack you hear was recorded live.

Now that I have heard, I am responsible

2008-09-15T22:39:00.002-05:00

My new favorite album starts off with little fanfare: a piano chord, then an intimately recorded vocal confession:

"Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet toward home; a land that I've never seen. I am changing: less and less asleep; made of different stuff than when I began"

The song is dramatic in it stark frankness - expressing the hopeful struggle of a journey down a narrow path, culminating in the redemptive reckoning of the re-creation:

"When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees, when time and space are through, I'll be found in you."

People often ask me about new music, but I rarely have a favorable opinion of any. Brooke Fraser is the latest of a small cadre of artists whose music I find satisfying on a variety of levels. I won't bore you with a lot of biographical information, but she writes surprisingly deep and insightful lyrics for a 24-year-old newlywed. The melodies are generally memorable (most songs have multiple hooks) and joined with well-crafted song structures.

She demonstrates uncommon vocal prowess - on par with Sarah McLachlan and Paula Cole and certainly drawing from their styles, while not derivative of either. On "Love, Where is Your Fire," she has been compared by other reviewers to Nora Jones. I disagree - it's a song you could certainly imagine being sung by Miss Jones, but Fraser's vocal power is wielded more overtly.

Another standout tune is "C. S. Lewis Song," which thankfully doesn't quote its title in the lyrics, but, instead, offers a reflection upon the author's musings (most likely God in the Dock):
"If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here."
The composition, arrangement and production of this one, in particular, wouldn't be out of place on the new Cold Play effort or most post-Acthung! U2.

The title track, "Albertine" was written in response to her visit to Rwanda. Unabashedly orthopraxic lyrics [Look that up - seriously. If you're reading this you'll find it a handy word to have in your inventory.] and an astounding vocal performance are coupled in a synergistic package. "Now that I have seen, I am responsible - faith without deeds is dead," is her simple refrain.

The album ends with the austere "Hymn" - a prayer focused on what should be every disciple's goal with respect to their Master: seeking His face and imploring Him for transforming power until "I only dwell in Thee."

So there you have it - a short take on what could be a much longer and more effusive review. If you're frustrated with the artistic and theological poverty marking most "Christian music," give Brooke Fraser a fair chance to restore your hope - in more ways than one.

Scripture Reading in Christian Worship? How Unusual...

2008-09-01T20:56:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I was asked if I was intentionally incorporating more scripture readings into the worship services I plan. I was almost dumbfounded - especially considering who it was that asked me - but I quickly discerned his discouragement regarding the disheartening lack of public reading of scripture.

(Pardon my excessive alliteration, but allow it to serve as a transition to another observation we made independently of each other.)

We have exchanged the Word of God for cute (and often over-alliterated) self-help lectures (albeit ones with scriptural proof texts). A few months ago I queried a class of about 25 non-traditional Bible college students as to whether or not they publicly read scripture on the previous Sunday (sermon prooftexting notwithstanding) and four raised their hands. FOUR! The use of the Bible in public worship is in a serious state of neglect!

I would also add that we have exchanged the praise, adoration, and thanksgiving - all full of humility and contrition - of Biblical worship for a few songs that suit our personal tastes and make us feel good about being God's people (or, more aptly, one of Jesus' friends). But back to my original rant...

I recently led worship services at a state prison, a nursing home, and a family weekend at a church camp. After each of these I received positive comments about the use of scripture in public worship. It seemed like a brand new idea to some; it seemed like a long - and regrettably - discarded memory to others. Shame on us that it should fall into either category.

The Church has been written into God's narrative. How will we know who we are, where we came from, where we're going, and what we should do now if we neglect his written Word? There is power in the Word - beyond what we know and beyond what we are willing to believe. Without it, can we even hope to better know and lovingly obey the Living Word?

Well?

...and that's a long time.

2008-08-12T20:50:00.002-05:00

Tonight my youngest daughter said, "You're the greatest dad ever, and I'll always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always, always love you."

Then she whispered, "and that's a long time."

I hope she remembers that when she's 14.

Compassionate Worship

2008-07-23T09:47:00.012-05:00

My wife, who is usually a late service kind of girl, came to our early worship service last Sunday. So, after I had finished leading the songs at the beginning I found her--in the very back--and sat down next to her. Immediately in front of us I noticed an acquaintance and her husband. He comes from an ancient, liturgical and very universal Christian tradition, and I wondered what our worship gathering looked like through his eyes.

This was all conjecture of course - but the first big question I came to was this: How much understanding do those of us who meet together at JSCC every week have regarding the various elements of our communal worship?

The second big question I came away with flows from the last two words of the first: In our communal worship are we still more concerned about our individual preferences than about the adoration of God, proclamation of his truth, re-enactment of his redemptive story, and submission to his will?

You can probably venture an accurate guess about my short answers to those questions.

So, we must continually and prudently teach about the preeminent themes of Christian worship at various levels. We must consistently enact worship practices that glorify God and edify the Body of Christ.

I even dare to suggest that we step outside of the "me & Jesus" perspective that dominates our culture. Bear with me here - this is something so ingrained in many of us that we're afraid to question it.

Let's assume for a moment that those who plan and lead congregational worship are conscientious, knowledgeable, skilled, and maybe even called. They may - depending on the theme of the text, leading of the Spirit, tradition of that movement or denomination, and the specific history of the local body - employ a variety of elements and techniques to facilitate worship and equip his saints. If those choices do not entirely match up with your preferences, what do you do?

Do you complain that the songs are not contemporary enough? Do you complain that we don't use enough "proper church music"? Do you write an anonymous and sarcastic note to complain that the sound system was too loud? Do you grouse to members of your small group about the way we celebrated the Lord's Supper last week? Are you uncomfortable when we read prayers of confession in unison?

Or do you recognize that these - and other - expressions of worship are perhaps valuable and edifying to someone else?

Maybe the 78-year-old widow exalts God most highly when we sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness." Maybe the recovering addict finds transformational power in the words "This is the Body of Christ, broken for you." Maybe the young couple who just lost a child finds strength through their tears as they sing "my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name" with tightened throats.

May our worship be filled with compassion, because the Lord is merciful and Christ's Church is a living testimony to his great love.

Good Old Memories...

2008-06-17T14:41:00.002-05:00

...was my mom's favorite phrase these last few years, so that's what I'm calling this video of her life.

It's by no means complete, but it's not the worst thing I could have done.

Ultra Piano-book Wipes

2008-06-16T20:00:00.002-05:00

My youngest daughter - who started piano lessons last week - showed me a "book" that she made to represent her ultimate invention: Ultimate Piano-book Wipes.

"It's toilet paper that looks like a piano book," she explained.

"Hmmm," I said, "Is that so you can study piano while you're going potty?"

"Yeah!" (giggle giggle)

I'm glad she's taking her music study seriously.

It's a small world, after all...

2008-06-08T21:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning after our first church service an older gentleman introduced himself to me. He had seen my mom's obituary, and told me he worked for Pioneer Seed Corn during World War Two--and his boss was Red Lewis.

He wondered if my dad was the same Red Lewis that he worked for sixty-five years ago. Turns out it was. Like many of my Dad's old acquaintances, he had no idea his name was Charles. He remembers my folks being good friends with his Uncle "Casey" and Aunt Berniece. (I, for the first time, found out that Casey's name was Lance.)

So what's this have to do with anything?

Not much, I suppose...

...except it points to the way we're all connected more than we realize. What I do--and, of more fundamental importance, who I am--matters.

Same goes for you, too. How do you want your mom, or husband, or kids treated? Well? How are you treating me and mine?

Again, to up the fundamental importance aspect: How has God treated you? Are you loved much? Or forgiven little? What does your life say about the way you understand mercy and grace and truth?

These aren't questions that have quick or simple answers for most of us. They do, however, reward the one who seeks them.

Faith Like a Child

2008-05-28T22:02:00.003-05:00

Last night our tender-hearted daughter prayed, "Please be able to find Grandma under the ground and take her to heaven and make her heart beat again."

Wow. She believes in the Resurrection. So do I. How about you? Have you pondered the implications of being raised from the dead?

I have--but not enough.

One day I shall die (should the Lord not tarry...) and one day I shall be raised from the dead. Just like Jesus. Wow.

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"*

Forgive me, God, for over-intellectualizing my faith. May I embrace the profound mystery that is your gospel. May I believe in things that I can't explain.

*John 11:25-26 NIV

Eulogy for a Generation

2008-05-27T12:30:00.007-05:00

It’s hard not to sound trite, but I sense that this is the end of an era.

My mom died Sunday evening—on what would have been her 66^th wedding anniversary. (Dad passed away in 1997.) She had been in either the hospital or nursing home since February 6^th—her 84^th birthday. I’m 42, exactly half the number of years that she was here with us.

As I call old friends and family members to give them the news, it is starkly apparent how many are already gone. It is a blessing to me to have grown up in the presence of the Greatest Generation. Perhaps I didn’t count it as such when I was a kid, but I learned about life and living from people who grew up without electricity, endured the Great Depression and survived World War Two. I beheld the bonds of friendship and faith that transcended place and time. I learned patience and respect as I visited retirement centers, nursing homes, and funeral parlors.

I was struck with awe, admiration and horror as I heard balding and graying farmers, custodians and restaurant managers relate stories of their youth. In my mind they were transfigured into a wiry young sailor enduring kamikaze attacks off Okinawa, a terrified 18-year-old Marine witnessing the annihilation of his friends on Iwo Jima, and a wide-eyed radio operator following General Patton across Europe.

These stories were the exception, of course. They were usually only shared after much nagging, a fair amount of bourbon, or on one’s deathbed. Mostly I heard about the good times in the midst of challenge and opportunity: about two years in the Civilian Conservation Corps building roads and cabins; about running off with your best friends to St. Louis to get married because it was faster and cheaper; about a full tank of gas, dinner at Steak ‘n’ Shake, and a double-feature for less than $5; about a chance to make better money raising hogs several counties north.

So now my cousins (who are all grandparents) and former babysitters have inherited the legacy of simple yet resourceful people who endured hardship with determination. What challenges and opportunities await us I cannot predict. I am skeptical that we will measure up to the standard our vanishing benefactors set—yet I remain hopeful: Hopeful that somewhere, deep down where it counts, we possess a little bit of the stern stuff of our parents. I remain hopeful, too, that we can accept with humble faith the circumstances that the Sovereign One has orchestrated, and that we will seek his guidance and strength as we work out our parts.

13x13

2008-05-13T13:49:00.006-05:00

Today is my 13th wedding anniversary. Could it really be that long?

Betsy says it must be, because her flair board is pretty full from all the things we've done.

So here, in no particular order, are 13 pictures of places we've been.

More and Different Surreality

2008-04-08T08:01:00.003-05:00

Last night I left a friend in charge of choir practice and headed downtown. (She's a fantastic choir director. Me? As far as choir directors go, I'm a pretty good guitarist...)

I had been invited to be part of the Prayer and Worship Team for a project called Together for Lincoln--a one day service project involving about 20 churches. On the last Sunday in September, our church will briefly meet around the Table, then we'll leave to build wheelchair ramps, replace shingles, install storm-windows, visit the sick and lonely, etc. That evening many churches will come together to worship at the local college chapel.

The goal is NOT for this to be a one time deal, but to be a catalyst for ongoing service--a chance for inward looking churches to start seeing each other and the desperately needy world around us: A loving effort to serve in Christ's name without any sectarian marketing campaigns.

Count me in.

The surreality? I found myself writing prayers with a nun, a Catholic laywoman, and the preaching minister from what we Jeff Street folks call the Downtown Church.

If you'd told me three years ago I'd be doing this sort of thing, I'd've thought you were wacky. Not that I would have thought it was a bad idea--it's just been a long time since I've seen this kind of non-jealous, non-threatened ecumenicalism. As a matter of fact, I've never seen this broad of a spirit of co-operation: Catholics and Protestants; mainliners and storefronters.

So I'm encouraged--and I hope you are, too.

Surreality

2008-02-13T23:06:00.002-06:00

I went to visit my mom today and take care of some legal stuff. When I got to the hospital I was told, "The doctor was just in. She's all ready to go."

"Go? Today? With me?" I thought

"OK," said I.

So, as of 5:30 tonight, my mom is residing in the best rehab place I could find in Lincoln, Illinois. My girls got there just as we arrived, so the blow was softened by a bevy of fuzzy pink hugs and kisses. Mom seemed pretty OK with it. We'll see how she's doing tomorrow.

Me - I'm toast. Toasted matzo, even.

"But I Know Who She Is"

2008-02-12T21:45:00.004-06:00

Last Wednesday my mom turned 84 and was admitted to the hospital - her mobility about gone. The stress of traveling back and forth to see her (100 miles each way) and trying to keep the rest of plates spinning is really starting to wear on me.

I found great encouragement tonight in an unlikely place - McDonald's. First, my girls were ecstatic to be with their mom and dad in their favorite restaurant. Second, an acquaintance came up to me while I was standing in line to order and gave me $20 and said "Dinner's on me." Third, and most significantly, we struck up a conversation with a gentleman in his early 80's.

He told us that yesterday was his 55th wedding anniversary, but his bride - who suffered from Alzheimer's - had died three years ago. He spent the last several years feeding her and attending to every other need, even though she had no idea who he was.

A friend scoffed at his devotion, asking, "Why do you keep going to visit her and taking care of her every day? She doesn't even know who you are."

"But I know who she is," he replied.

That's what it's about - this thing we flippantly, misguidedly call love. That devotion is much like the Savior's. We didn't even know who he was, but he knew us - and expressed his devotion in the most matchless way.

If Bob Dylan were a better singer ...

2008-01-17T08:45:00.000-06:00

...and guitarist AND wrote from a Christ-centered worldview he'd be Bill Mallonee.

Check out this link for some really great music. Some of the best ones are FREE! (Summershine and Blister Soul - if you don't mind downloading them one song at a time.)

Blister Soul and Audible Sigh are two of my all-time favorite albums EVER.

I think she's on to something...

2007-12-04T07:51:00.000-06:00

My wife is sharing her observations from last Sunday's worship service. I really hope she completes her thoughts about bravery, honesty and gratitude--because I've seen more of those 3 things in the last 4 months than I did in many years before that.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Advent

2007-11-27T13:38:00.000-06:00

C.S. Lewis called Christianity the “one true myth;” regarding Christmas, Andrew Peterson has coined the phrase “The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ.” Does that kind of language strike our ears in strange way? Maybe we need to step back and take a look at the wonderfully absurd miracle of Christmas. Who would have guessed that God would come to us in the way that he did – a helpless baby born to a young girl pledged to be married to a man of no great means. God sent angels to herald the news to a people who longed for a Savior, but who would have otherwise missed his arrival.

The Jews missed it. They had the Law and the Prophets to point them to God’s redemptive plan, and they missed it. Let’s not be too hard on them, though. Christ’s first disciples continually missed it—continually misunderstood God’s plan in Christ even though Jesus had chosen them and invested himself in them for several years.

But let’s not be too hard on them either. To use the language of Matthew 7, we’ve got a plank in our eye when it comes to Christmas. We act like it’s about decorations and presents and food and family and children and Santa and yet we still declare that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” I admit that I share in this hypocrisy, and I’m trying to be plank-free in my perspective. My challenge is for all of us to do the same.

December 2nd marks the beginning of Advent—a season that culminates with Christmas: our celebration of the birth of the Savior. During this Advent may we retell with even greater purpose the story of God’s creation and our fall; of his coming to rescue and redeem us. May we allow God to remove the planks and specks from our eyes as we expectantly re-enact the waiting for God’s great hope to be revealed.

What the church really doesn't need...

2007-11-21T11:51:00.000-06:00

... is one more insipid worship song. (Rant warning!)

Every day when I'm on my way to pick up my daughter K from school, I turn on one of several "Family Friendly, Positive Message, Christian Hit Radio Stations." I hope against hope that they'll play something that's a good song in terms of music, content, and performance/production. The performances are generally good (Nashville studio cats usually) and the production--well you almost have to try to screw things up sonically these days with the plethora of virtual aids for the recording engineer/producer types. (I suspect that the next generation of Mac's Garage Band will be able to automatically generate songs in the same way that Jean-Luc Picard might simply request "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot." Imagine the possibilities: "Song, Lenny Kravitz, rocking, vaguely about Jesus." Oh, he's already done that?)

I was particularly annoyed by a song that rolled all my pet peeves up in one. It used a lot of churchy sounding words and phrases (which I'm way OK with using in congregational worship, BTW) like "manifest," "implore," and "adorn." Yet I found that there wasn't really a theme to the words. It's like the guy was brainstorming a bunch of standard (read "trite") worship phrases and stuck them together so they formed a rhyming pattern. The line that really honked me off was "Creator of all glorious things." Now, accuse me of being fussy about semantics (that accusation will surely stick), but shouldn't it probably be "Glorious Creator of all things"? You see the enormous difference, yes?

Besides that, it was full of "me" language. CHALLENGE TO ASPIRING WRITERS OF WORSHIP SONGS: try to use some "us" constructions. The church could maybe use that. Also, how about more songs about repentence and restoration? How about more songs with memorable and singable melodies? Consistent theology?

I could gripe for hours, but I need to go shoot some video on location.

Now don't get all defensive...

2007-11-10T22:06:00.000-06:00

...but take a moment to consider the validity of this quote from Derek Webb:

We are disliked for all the wrong reasons, Christians in America... We need to be careful that we are actually acting like Jesus, opposed to
acting like the people Jesus judged the most harshly, which is the arrogant
church leadership, the Pharisees. We need to be careful, because it’s sending
such a mixed message, and that’s a huge issue. And I think that if we could just
pause for a moment and just look at Jesus’ life and look at the way he dealt
with people and treated people, in the context that he did it, I think we would
find that we’re probably on the wrong side.

Chew on that for a minute or ten, then let me know what you think.

Smorgasbord

2007-09-11T06:25:00.000-05:00

In regard to my new job, I feel like I'm at a smorgabord. There are a lot of things that look potentially appetizing, but there is only so much room on my plate. I can hear suggestions about what I should try next (and also that I should consider getting an extra bowl, because if I don't try so-and-so's special recipe their feelings might be hurt).

But for now I'm being pretty fussy. I've got a decent helping of meat and taters and a few simple veggies that had been missing from my diet for a while.

I hope I'll end up with room for some coconut cream pie.

Since you asked...

2007-08-01T16:37:00.000-05:00

Lots of folks have asked for my email address, so if you've been industrious enough to find this page here's your reward:

bill.blewis333@gmail.com

Right now I'm still packing and getting all those loose ends tied up. I told Betsy that we'll have to declare a celebration in a few weeks and call it "Life is Finally Normal Day."

We're Moving!

2007-07-09T16:41:00.000-05:00

It's completely official - we're moving to Lincoln, Illinois. I'll be serving as Minister of Worship and Fine Arts at Jefferson Street Christian Church.

That's about the strangest thing I've typed in my life. This whole process has seemed a bit surreal, but that really ices the cake. Anyway, Jeff Street is the church I was baptized in. It’s the church Betsy and I were married in. We’ll be significantly closer to Betsy’s parents and my mom. Several old friends are in Lincoln. In many ways, it’ll be like going home.

It'll be a huge challenge. I'll be surrounded by people who know way more about my job than I do, but they've been very supportive. The whole church was very gracious and welcoming.

I'm so happy that I almost feel guilty. (Pesky Midwestern upbringing rears its sternly grimacing head...)

Feelin' Like a Square Peg

2007-06-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

Half a dozen CD's arrived at my door last week - all from members of the Square Peg Alliance. I've since determined to A) buy more CDs from each and all of these artists, and B) to tell all my musically discerning friends to do the same. (Maybe I should convice my musically non-discerning friends to buy some quality CDs, too.)

I intend to give a full review of at least one: Jill Phillips' "Nobody's Got it All Together." It's certainly the best album I've heard in the last couple years from ANYONE. Beautiful, memorable music; well-crafted lyrics full of insight, openness and truth. It's keeping me from giving the rest of my new CDs the attention they deserve. Shame on you, Jill.

As I write I'm listening to Sandra McCracken's "Gravity/Love." Does she get tired of being compared to Sheryl Crow? I wonder. She's got what I call a "girl next door" kind of voice - nothing flashy, but very appealing and easy to listen to. I bet she could rock out if she ever felt so inclined.

Surprised by Sadness

2007-05-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

Robert Webber lives in this world no more. He departed on April 27th after a relatively brief struggle with cancer.

Of all the people that I've never met, Webber was one of the most influential to me. I first encountered him in the pages of Worship Leader magazine. He awakened me to the possibility of real transformational worship through his essays.

I heard him speak at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary early last year. That the Church would encounter God and tell his Story in corporate worship was his plea. During three short lectures my focus was clarified; my purpose became plain; my waning passion rekindled.

So I find myself profoundly saddened. The Church has lost a prophetic voice. (I do not use that term lightly.) Yet God is sovereign. Bob Webber's impact will be felt for several generations. Many of us are now freshly inspired, equipped and committed to proclaiming God's mystery, telling his Story, and restoring the centrality of the Word and Table.

Thank you, Google

2007-04-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

Maybe Google is a huge corporate monster bent on world domination.

I really like all their cool free stuff, though.

Check out this page for family pictures and audio files: seen and heard

(Well, right now there's only one audio file - a song I used to set up the Easter sermon. I had the tune floating around for a while, and one day - when I was considering some questions a professor had thrown at us while doing a slightly unorthodox exegesis of the Gospel of John - the lyrics started spilling out. It was recorded live at the 3rd service, April 8th, 2007.)

Resurrection of the Plastic Sea Turtles

2007-04-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

Every Sunday I ask my daughters what they learned in church. Last week, they informed me that Jesus has a friend who died and he said “come out” and he was alive again. I asked if Jesus’ friend’s name was Lazarus, and dear daughter #2 replied, “Dad, how did you know?”

The concept of death and resurrection has really captured their imaginations – one night when they were taking a bath a huge procession of plastic tub toys that had died was brought back to life: “Oh Baby Whale! I’m so glad that God made you alive again!”

A few months ago I was challenged by a professor to read the book of Acts in one sitting. One of the things I noticed was the prominence of the resurrection in the preaching of Peter and Paul.

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." (Acts 2:22-24 NIV)

We have the same hope.

The body that was broken because of God’s wrath and the blood that was shed to pay for our sin was brought back to life “because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Amazing. Difficult to fathom. I can only echo Stuart Townend:

Why should I gain from His reward,
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart—
His wounds have paid my ransom.

“How Deep The Father's Love For Us”
by Stuart Townend
copyright 1995 Thankyou Music

Doing good... in spite of the consequences

2007-03-13T11:36:00.000-05:00

I just found out that my washer and dryer are in another state - three hours away. Betsy and I loaned them to a single mom almost a year ago. Her life deteriorated dramatically recently, and some family members came to fetch her. They also fetched my washer and dryer.

Upon contacting the sister of the aforementioned party, I was told that it was impossible for my property to be returned - but I could come get it. When I explained that I thought that they were responsible to bring them back to me things got a bit ugly. I got the original recipient of the property on the phone and told her that I'd give her a day or so to figure something out.

Less than five minutes later, she called back and explained to me that it was her understanding that we had given the washer and dryer to them as a gift, rather than a loan. I thought that I had been clear - maybe I was, and she is just trying to manipulate the dialog in her favor.

Anyway... we knew there was a risk of losing our property, but that isn't exactly a consolation. Additionally, I've cost my family another $600. You see, it was terribly windy a couple Fridays ago when I took my oldest daughter to the grocery store. The wind grabbed her car door and left a nice little dent and scratch on the car next to us. I left a note explaining what happened. The guy called later that evening was pleasantly surprised that I took responsibility. Well, the estimate came to $586...

My wife is glad I'm a man of conscience. I bet she also wonders if good character shouldn't pay a bit better.

Shameless Promotion

2007-02-15T09:03:00.000-06:00

I got the monthly automatically generated newsletter from my friend Scott Riggan this morning. Nothing usually great about most of these sort of messages, but I'm always encouraged when I read about what Scott's up to - or rather, what God is up to with Scott.

Back in a previous life, Scott was part of a group called the nobodys with my friend Ben. They were a very successful independent band in the late 90s. [I recorded and played some gigs with them for a while - from glamorous stuff like the Nashville Heart Association Christmas party(!) to humdrum GMA week showcases and Christian music festivals.] Ahh... I digress: the nobodys got a record deal and kept going for a while, but God directs our lives more than we like to admit sometimes and Scott and Ben laid the band to rest.

As is often the case in God's kingdom, the passing of one thing leads to bigger and better things arising from the ashes. Ben is the Worship and Arts guy at Common Ground Church near Seattle - a church that he helped plant. It was my friendship with Ben and our weekly accountability meetings that prepared me to answer God's call in a way I had never previously considered.

And then there's Scott. He moved to Emmett, Idaho (pop. 5,987 - salute!) and continued his career as a solo artist. He's had some good success on the radio, but the really great and grand success is what God is doing through him in international missions. He's worked with The Jesus Film Project in Africa, and done two tours in China at the behest of the government - singing explicitly Christian songs (with the possible exception of "Sweet Home Alabama").

So - props to Scott and praise to God. Go to Scott's website and buy some stuff or just send him some money. Most importantly, pray for him. Pray for all those who are out in the wilds of the Kingdom, expanding its frontiers. Pray that God will raise up more willing adventurers like Scott and do even wackier things through them.

Just in case anyone's still interested...

2007-02-03T16:48:00.000-06:00

I'm still here. Between the Christmas onslaught, New Year's resolutions (one of which was NOT to update my blog on a regular basis), a new semester of college, and a couple weeks of sickness rampaging through my family, blogging has lost most of the appeal it had at one time.

I am, however, reading John Caparoon's blog regularly. I'm especially interested in his thoughts on "how we do church" and particularly communion. I'm more and more longing to see the centrality of the Word (not neccessarily preaching) and the Table restored in Christian worship. The historical perspective of the Restoration movement would certainly give prominence to the Word and Table in our congrgational worship, but I'm afraid that we may have substituted preaching for the reading of the Word and that our rugged individualist tendencies may have robbed our communion time of any horizontal dimensions (i.e. it's all "me 'n' Jesus).

SO - if there's anyone out there who's still reading this - what say ye?

Emulsifying Faith and Politics

2006-11-06T13:52:00.000-06:00

Some churchgoers expect the entire focus of our worship service to be patriotic about three times each year (Memorial Day, July 4th, and Veterans Day). More dangerously, there is often an expectation that we should support the Republican platform or “our President” unconditionally. Conversely, some think that we should stay out of politics altogether, not considering that our socio-political context has changed dramatically since Bible times. We need to show that both of these views are, at the very least, oversimplifications.

If Paul can enlist his citizenship and its accompanying privileges for God's purpose, then so should we. Paul didn't get to vote, but we do - and should. (Maybe I'm wrong - my Mennonite friend, Ken, doesn't vote. He does, however, pray for the government daily. He also will--of course--never read this blog...) Slavery, fair wages, civil rights, and health and sanitation issues have all been transformed by the church operating in democratic societies during the last 180 years. This is redemptive work. It is not the primary work of the church, but it is the inevitable outcome of our lives as we are transformed into whole ("saved") people.

VOX FOR EVERYONE!

2006-10-25T09:37:00.000-05:00

(Warning: GUITARIST SPECIFIC CONTENT)

I was in St. Louis last week for a seminar and had some downtime, so I went to the Ed Debevic's of guitars stores - Guitar Center. (GC is slightly better than Myspace as far as annoyance factor.)

After about 10 minutes I finally got one of the "too-cool-to-be-bothered-with-the-only-customer-in-the-store" employees to fetch me a cable so I could check out some amps. A Lonestar Special, AC15CC, Crate V16 and V32, and a Line 6 Vetta were all in close proximity, and I had an hour to kill.

I started with the LSS. I really dug it. My main complaint is that you can't turn off the reverb via footswitch and it was really obtrusive. Then I compared another known quantity - the V32. Umm... I'm almost scared to report that it sounded better than the Mesa. The clean was "voxier" and the overdrive was more "marshallish." The Mesa costs (and weighs) 3X more. I REALLY wanted to like the Mesa, but...

...then I plugged into the AC15. It was the $600 one with the Whafdale speaker, but it reeked with that nearly inimitable* VOX beefy jangle. I was initially quite disappointed that they didn't have an AC30CC, but the more I played with the AC15, the less I cared. Really nice reverb (I'm not a Fender reverb guy) and tremolo. But it's the TONE that I'm infatuated with. My usual tonal needs are for something that's full-yet-bright and clean-with-some-hair-on-it. This is the VOX speciality. I was able to do my Edge impersonation and venture into indie/alt-country with ease. Ahhh...

So I concur with my friend John's assessment of several months ago. VOX is the magic. And - surprise of all surprises - Crate trumps Mesa. (Never made it to the V16 or the Vetta, but I'm a Line 6 user anyway.)

Bottom line: I want a VOX. I want John to have a VOX. I want you to have a VOX. VOX FOR EVERYONE.

(But I'm too poor to afford a VOX.)

*Bad Cat, Matchless, Dr. Z, Mojave, Top Hat, and a couple others make amps with similarly magical sounds - for two to five thousand dollars (gulp).

Ulterior Motives would be a great name for a band

2006-09-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

I spent a good portion of the day yesterday playing some killer rock songs with John, Boyd and Don (or Woody if you've read John's blog). We're playing a set at the city park next Saturday for my church's Summer's End party.

Now this is NOT a party for our church. Let's get that out of our heads right now. This is a party for our town, and specifically for the part of our town that seems a bit more frayed around the edges. We've got free mini-golf, free food, free kids games, bikes and cars to gawk at, dunking booth, etc.

We also have rock'n'roll. NOT Christian rock. We're playing great songs mostly written by Christians. So the world view is Christian theistic, without the off-putting trappings of much Contemporary Christian music.

Maybe there was a time - or perhaps there have been instances - when Christian Rock/Contemporary Christian music was an effective outreach tool. I spent a lot of time and energy pursuing that end, but it always wound up as a party for the church. Not really the original goal.

(There is a place for new music for Christians - for worship, for teaching, inspiring, etc. - but that's a whole different discussion. My main focus in life is ministering to the church through music, so I'm certainly not "dissing" that. Matter of fact, we're ending the whole Summer's End shindig with the best worship songs we know.)

Anyway - I'm prepared to take some heat for my wacky little plan to play music that speaks the vernacular of the community at large. Perhaps there are weaker brothers for whom this is a stumbling point - I don't know of any. I'm more afraid of the "don't handle, don't touch, don't taste" crowd.

You see, I have an ulterior motive: cultivate dialog and relationships with the community at large so we can show and tell the Gospel. If Switchfoot, or even the Foo Fighters, can help build a bridge, then so be it.

Ashtrays and the Lord's Supper

2006-06-26T11:54:00.000-05:00

My wife commented on the staggering number of ashtrays in my mom's small apartment. There are at least seven the living room alone. No, my mom doesn't smoke. (Actually, she used to. When I was born her doctor "prescribed" a cigarette each morning with her coffee. She faithfully smoked one cigarette a day until I was 18, then she stopped - cold turkey!)

So why all the ashtrays? Maybe - like the fake marble one that adorns the top of a wrought-iron magazine rack - it's because they've always been part of her home decor. Maybe it's because my dad smoked constantly for 65 years. (He, too, quit cold-turkey - just before his 80th birthday. He died 3 months later. Too little, too late.) Dad never used any of these ashtrays, though. He prefered a metal ashtray that was sewn into a corduroy beanbag (literally - it was filled with soybeans). It would sit comfortably on his chest as he reclined on the couch reading Prairie Farmer and watching Wheel of Fortune. That ashtray - if she still has it - isn't on display.

No - I think it's because of memories: The glazed terra cotta one from our trip to Arizona when I was 4; the white one that was part of Grandma's hobnail collection; the big maple leaf that Uncle Russ brought back from Vermont; the one with the decoupage horse that Aunt Wanda made in ceramics class. To discard any of these would be tantamount to erasing a memory.

Most of us keep some sort of tangible means of reminiscence. Maybe it's something as obvious as a photograph. Perhaps it's more subtle - like the grey t-shirt that's still got a stain from where my newborn daughter's "baby ook" marred it perfectly.

Our church building is filled with them. There's an inscription in the front of nearly every hymnal and pew Bible. The organ has a huge plaque. The new tables in the fellowship hall each have a small gold plaque. The painting above the sink in our breakroom was given "in loving memory" 35 years ago.

Practically speaking, this is often a hindrance. When a pulpit or a table or a musical instrument has outlived its utility, it's difficult to discard it - tantamount to erasing the memory of a mother, a grandfather, a favorite Sunday School teacher, etc.

But, still practically speaking, Jesus left us with a tangible means of remembrance. One that - after 2000 years - is inadvisable to discard. When he celebrated his last Passover with his closest friends, he admonished them to "do this in remembrance of me." One of the things that the early Christians were "continually devoting themselves to" was the "breaking of bread." I hope this hasn't become an empty ritual for us - just part of our church "decor."

I hope we remember who he was: the Word of God - present at the creation of the world - clothed in human flesh; the Son of God, who humbled himself and died on a Roman cross; the Son of Man, who was raised from the dead to become the Firstborn of many brothers and sisters.

Through a miraculous mystery, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (1 Cor. 5:21 NIV). This righteousness (diakosune in Greek) is a virtue that sums up all the other virtues; a synonym of perfection; justice. It is the way in which God justifies persons so that they move toward living only for him. This righteousness is not only imparted to those who follow Jesus, it is manifested in their lives.

As we remember, may we understand. As we understand, may we worship him. As we worship him, may we be transformed into his righteousness.

Head Lice and the Fall

2006-06-21T12:07:00.000-05:00

I'm not talking about Autumn here: I'm wondering about chiggers, mosquitoes, ticks, tapeworms (yee-aah!) and other blood-sucking and/or parasitic critters. Are they functioning according to God's original specifications, or did they become what we now loathe as a result of the subjection of creation to sin and decay?