Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Moving to Wordpress!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Review | Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One is not a literary masterpiece by any means, but it’s been a long time since I had this much fun reading a novel.
Ready Player One takes place in a near future in which human society is on the verge of collapse (sounds fun already!), and everyone has taken refuge in a massive online simulation known as the OASIS. The OASIS’ creator, James Halliday, dies an old man, leaving a will that initiates a contest inside the simulation, the winner of which will inherit all of his vast wealth, as well as control over the OASIS. The “Easter Egg,” as the ultimate goal of the contest is known, can only be found by locating – inside the OASIS – three keys that open three gates, each of which opens to an unknown challenge. Halliday, a child of the ‘80s, leaves no clue to the whereabouts of the keys except for his journal, which contains his musings on his life, the human condition, and – most importantly – the pop culture of the age of excess.
In the beginning, the contest seems to captivate the entire population of the globe, but over time interest wanes. Only a relatively small group of people known as “gunters” – short for “egg hunters” – continue the quest, immersing themselves in all the things that Halliday loved in the hopes that this will direct them to the location of the first key. Finally, years after Halliday’s death, an OASIS avatar named Parzival (his name is Wade in the real world) – our hero – finds it, setting the story in motion.
Let me put this right out there – for those of you who don’t already know. I’m a geek. I grew up in the ‘80s. Cline wrote this book for me people like me. It’s overflowing with random movie lines (“Dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”), references to comic books, video games, sci-fi and fantasy novels. And the highest geekery of all, Dungeons & Dragons plays a major role in the plot early on. (To be fair to myself, I was never THAT into D&D, though I have played my share of RPGs*.) These little nuggets often made me laugh out loud, which I rarely do when reading.
Apart from this, the story moves along at a lightning pace, making Cline’s too-frequent forays into long-winded exposition bearable. (Though, perhaps this was purposeful. I’ve read many a science fiction novel, and I’ve never met a sci-fi author who didn’t LOVE exposition!) The primary line of the plot follows the adventures of Parzival and his friends inside the OASIS, but chilling and compelling events take place in the real world as well. And these serve to get the reader truly invested.
The narrator’s voice is a little weak. There’s too much telling instead of showing. The characters aren’t terribly developed, though there is a little to hang on to. But I’m willing to bet Cline had an absolute blast writing this because that’s what comes across on the page.
For my Christian readers out there who may be concerned about these things, there is some profanity and a somewhat prolonged discussion of a particular sexual activity that is pretty crass, which is to be expected with these characters in this world. Overall, it was bearable in my opinion. If it were a movie, it would probably garner a PG-13 rating.
Ready Player One is a really good story set in a vivid world and told with imagination and childlike joy. This is escapist fare in the best sense of the term.
*Role Playing Games, for the uninitiated.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Review | Earthen Vessels by Matthew Lee Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Matthew Lee Anderson’s Earthen Vessels is a hard book to pin down. The author’s voice is at once conversational and classical. (With titles like, “Preface: In Which I Clear My Throat,” I was often reminded, stylistically, of C.S. Lewis or G.K. Chesterton.) And while he is not afraid of big words, he is somehow deceptively simple in his delivery. Imagine you have an old high school friend who grew up to be a philosopher and you guys get together for a cup of coffee – that’s Anderson’s style.
His tone belies the depth of his subject – “why our bodies matter to our faith” – but this is not a weakness. On the contrary, Earthen Vessels could have read like a text book, but it doesn’t. It’s a much, much easier read than it has any right to be.
Anderson presents as the basis for his book the idea that our physical bodies are “the place of our personal presence in the world.” (pg. 233) As such, we cannot separate our bodies from ourselves as easily as we sometimes try to (philosophically, at least). And in fact, Christ took on a human body, and He “died to save and renew human bodies.” (pg. 16) Therefore, we are inseparable from our bodies. There’s a lot of very interesting philosophical delving here to elaborate and drive the point home.
Once that premise is established, Anderson takes us on a wide-ranging journey into topics as varied as pleasure, tattoos, homosexuality, and death and the implications they hold for our bodies and our faith.
Earthen Vessels covers a great deal of ground in its 230 or so pages. The book may leave you with more questions than it answers, but Anderson’s purpose in these pages is to start a conversation rather than end it.
It takes a while to wrestle with all these topics, and it is not for the casual reader. As I’ve said, the book was easy enough to read, but understanding what you’ve read takes some serious thought. Unless you’re some kind of genius, it may take a second or even a third read. However, it’s worth the time. There’s a lot of meat to chew on here, and that’s something that is sorely missing in most Christian literature. I definitely recommend Earthen Vessels.
I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers for this review as part of their blogger review program.
View all my reviews
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Review | Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As someone who geeks out a little over Silicon Valley history and the birth of the personal computer, the first several chapters of Walter Isaacson's biography of the iconic Apple CEO were particularly engaging. While the rest of the book was not quite as exciting to read, it was still worthwhile.
Isaacson's style is conversational and easy, making for a quick, fluid 571 pages. At times he leaves out details that might better inform certain situations, but this may have be necessary in keeping the focus on Jobs rather than on Apple and its products.
The book doesn't sugarcoat Jobs. Indeed, there would be no point, since his perfectionism and brutality are legendary - at least to those who are fans of Apple. He is presented here as, quite honestly, a jerk. He is also presented as a genius. He is presented as not much of a father but as a great corporate leader. All are probably true.
However, Isaacson does show his bias when it comes to the company Jobs started and saved and its products. Sometimes he seems so in love with Apple, Inc. that it annoys even me! (I'm a proud Mac and iPhone user and Macworld.com reader.)
In the end, the book certainly gives one a well-rounded view of Steve Jobs, his relationships - both personal and professional - and the company he built. Definitely a worthy read.
View all my reviews
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Great Bible Giveaway - and Maybe an iPad!
By visiting the giveaway entry page (located on the NLT Facebook page, the link is under the profile picture) and entering your name and e-mail address you'll be entered to win the following prizes:
- One random person each day will win a Life Application Study Bible Family Pack (Guys Life Application Study Bible hc, Girls Life Application Study Bible hc, Student's Life Application Study Bible hc, Life Application Study Bible hc, Life Application Study Bible Large Print hc).
- One Random person each week will win an Apple iPad 2!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Review | The Historical Jesus: Five Views
Just a heads up: This one is pretty academic and may not be for everyone. I actually wrote it for a seminary class but thought I'd share it with all of you.
Bethel University professors James K. Bielby and Paul Rhodes Eddy have put together a volume in The Historical Jesus: Five Views that provides a glimpse into the broad range of perspectives found among those who quest for the historical Jesus. Robert M. Price, a professor at Johnny Coleman Theological Seminary, begins the book with the most radical of views, followed by DePaul University emeritus professor of religious studies John Dominic Crossan. The works gradually move through the center toward the conservative end of the spectrum with essays by Emory University professor Luke Timothy Johnson and Durham University professor James D. G. Dunn. Finally, the book draws to a conservative close with an essay by Darrell L. Bock, research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary.
The Historical Jesus begins with a survey of the quest for the historical Jesus, covering its beginnings in the late eighteenth century to today. Bielby and Rhodes provide the reader with a quick glimpse of each separate quest – or stage of the overall quest – as well as the views that drove it or, at times, brought it to a halt. The editors do not bring their own views to bear. They leave that to the contributors.
Their introduction is followed by each contributor’s essay, in which he puts forth his view. Each essay is then followed by responses from each of the other four authors.
Price’s essay, “Jesus at the Vanishing Point,” is easily the most liberal and radical. He has no qualms about sharing his view with the reader. “I will argue that it is quite likely there never was any historical Jesus” (55). He then proceeds to completely deconstruct the Gospels. He does this by relying on the criterion of dissimilarity and the idea that each of the Gospel stories is simply a retelling of an Old Testament story.
John Dominic Crossan’s work “Jesus and the Challenge of Collaborative Eschatology” reduces Jesus to a simple nonviolent revolutionary whose battle was against the Roman Empire. Though not the Messiah, he says, some Jews saw Jesus as “a nonviolent Davidic Messiah” (120). He attributes those of Jesus’ actions in the Gospels that he deems historically accurate to a political motivation, and the crufixion he attributes to Rome’s standard policy in dealing with nonviolent rebels.
Next comes “Learning the Human Jesus” by Luke Timothy Johnson. His conclusions are moderate when compared to those of his fellow contributors. Leaning more toward acceptance of the Gospels' portrayal of Jesus, he writes that, when taken strictly as narrative, the Gospels provide a valid perspective on the character of Jesus. The question of character “is a question that narrative is distinctly capable of addressing” (173). Johnson still doubts the historical validity of the Gospels.
James D. G. Dunn writes the essay “Remembering Jesus,” in which he accepts a faith-based viewing of the Gospels as a valid historical perspective. He states, “…it is the ear of faith which is likely to hear the Gospels most effectively” (225). Dunn seeks to convince the reader that the right course in the quest is to look for those characteristics of Jesus that can be seen across the Gospels (220). Dunn does not accept all the Gospel material as true, though he is more conservative than prior contributors.
Darrell L. Bock shows himself to hold the truly conservative view in this work. The entirety of his essay, “The Historical Jesus,” gives the reader a view of Jesus as He appears in the Gospels, spelling out His character and motivations as exhibited by His actions. Bock declares that the Gospels’ picture of a “messianic Jesus who saw himself standing at the hub of God’s program and completely vindicated as Son of Man at God’s side” (281) is the most accurate view to take.
In this reviewer’s opinion, Price’s view is the least well-researched. It appears to be based entirely on his own biases and reading of other liberal theologians, rather than on arguments from factual data. The essay’s greatest weakness is his stretching of the criterion of dissimilarity to contend that the Gospel stories are simple reworkings of Old Testament stories. While this reviewer doubts that the criterion in question has any value whatsoever, even the other authors in The Historical Jesus take issue with Price’s use of it. Dunn writes, “Such an extension of the criterion of dissimilarity simply undermines what value it has” (95).
Crossan’s view, while perhaps more informed, is no less biased. He draws upon a great deal of extrabiblical historical knowledge – some of which is dubious at best – but he discounts nearly as much of the Gospel material as does Price. He believes Jesus existed, but his picture of Jesus is shaped by his own values and knowledge of the fishing industry in ancient Palestine (116). Even Price states that Crossan reduces “Jesus to a function of the categories and methods through which he has decided to study him.” (133). Crossan infers in his essay, and outright insists in his response to Dunn, that the Jesus of the Gospels who taught love and pacifism cannot be the same as the Jesus of revelation who will return in violence (234). For Crossan, nonviolence is the one defining characteristic of Jesus, whose life and death hinge on “the crucial difference… between the eschatological kingdom of God and the imperial kingdom of Rome,” which is “Jesus’ nonviolence and Pilate’s violence” (132).
Johnson and Dunn, while espousing slightly different views, straddle the center. Johnson leans more heavily toward the liberal side, and Dunn leans toward the conservative side. However, they both – like the more liberal contributors to this book – rely on sources like Q that may or may not exist to determine which parts of the Gospel are true. For a conservative reviewer, Dunn’s view is easier to swallow, since he accepts faith as a valid historical perspective. Johnson, however, seems inexplicably to accept faith as faith and historical knowledge as something else altogether.
Bock is the one among these contributors who takes the Gospel texts seriously. He writes that the Gospels provide “a multiperspectival impression” that “can be as historical as the autobiographical words of the individual” (251). From there he provides a historical view of Jesus that is drawn entirely from Scripture and, therefore, reads more like a sermon – with generally solid exegesis – than the apparently scholarly views of the other contributors. The only real weakness this reviewer found in Bock’s contribution was that it might have fit better in a different book, but that appears to have been the point of The Historical Jesus: Five Views.
The Historical Jesus is a worthy read, providing opposing perspectives against which to hone one’s views. It strengthened this reader’s trust in the Gospels as the only reliable picture of the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith, who are one and the same.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Woe to you...
Matthew 23:13-30 - "Eight Woes"
I find the Pharisees to be - perhaps strangely - a strong example of how easily human nature comes between us and the truth of the Gospel. The roots of Pharisaism were in a movement meant to return Jews to right belief and right practice at a time when pagan culture (namely Greek) was overtaking their own culture and religious practices (the period between the Old and New Testaments). Instead, as evidenced in Jesus' words here, they created a set of rules that actually drew them away from what God really wanted.
So, what does this have to do with human nature? Humans like rules. I know, most people would disagree. We don't want to be told what to do, but think about it. We'd rather have rules that clearly define how we get to Heaven (Be good! Don't hurt people!) than deal with this ethereal "relationship with God" thing. It's easier!
Scripture points us to right behavior, but it is also clear that right behavior is meaningless without the right heart. Otherwise, why would Jesus come down on the Pharisees here?
It's also easier when the rules serve to make me look good without my having to worry about other people.
You see, the Pharisees missed the point - the Law never saved anyone, not even a Jew. The Law existed for the people to maintain relationships with God and one another. Hence, the two greatest commandments:
'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 22:36b-40If that wasn't happening, the Law wasn't serving its purpose.
Sadly, many Christians - those of us who live under the New Covenant in which Christ has fulfilled the Law - still want it this way. We want the rules. Even though they don't teach this way with words, many churches teach this way by example. It's not about going to Bible study or Sunday morning worship or putting in time in the food pantry. Those things are all good things, but they must all grow out of love.
This is not to say there is no place in the Christian life for duty. Let's face it. Sometimes, we don't feel like doing the things that we know we ought to do. We should do them anyway because they are our duty as followers of Jesus.
It's a line that is easy to cross, as the Pharisees show us. We must do our duty, but we don't just do it for the sake of duty. We do our duty because we love the God who first loved us and the people whom He loves.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
On This Day in 2010
Every once in a while, I'm surfing Facebook, and I notice an item in the sidebar called "On This Day in 2010." I never really pay much attention to it, but today it caught my attention because it featured the blog I posted last August 24. In that blog, I recounted some amazing blessings that my family received last summer. We sold our house, our debts were paid. Because of those things, we have been freed from so much.
The most obvious benefit is that Kacy is now able to stay home with our daughters. (And we can still pay the bills on just my paycheck!)
But God has done so much more in our family - most of it I still can't verbalize.
If you'd like to read that blog from last year, here it is.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Review | The Walk | Shaun Alexander
The Walk 
by former NFL star Shaun Alexander is apparently written for those Christians young in their faith, but its bland, trite style and theologically questionable premise make it a book only someone with a fairly mature understanding of Scripture ought to attempt to slog through. Even then, there would be very little reward in the end.Alexander’s premise is this: Since “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 - often translated as “order” rather than “peace”), that He has created a very specific path to maturity in Christ. That path consists of this series of stages: “Unbeliever, Believer, Example, Teacher, Imparter.” (pg. 21)
Up until this point in The Walk, I had actually been pleasantly surprised. I had fully expected it to be another Christ self-help book – “Here’s how to get spiritual power for your life – to be everything you want to be!” It wasn’t, and I was glad of that.
However, Alexander completely lost me here. The passage he quotes as the basis for his sequence of spiritual maturity clearly relates to worship in the church – not the progression of a believer’s growth. While it is true that 1 Corinthians 14:33 is a statement with broader implications, there is absolutely no Scriptural support for this order that The Walk is entirely based upon. Consequently, it took me about six weeks to read this short book because I felt compelled to continually question the author’s credibility. And I continually found it lacking.
He essentially invents his premise and tells the reader it’s from God, and this plagues the entire book.
There are notes of truth throughout the book, and I would encourage any believer from a non-charismatic background to read the final chapter with an open mind. Like Alexander, I believe that there are still miracles out there. We just don’t see them happen because we have cut ourselves off from this kind of working of the Holy Spirit.
At the risk of being too harsh, The Walk turns out to be a more or less useless book. I absolutely would not recommend it.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as part of the Blogging for Books program.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
A True Pastor
But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the LORD’S people.” It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces. Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!” Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.
Numbers 16:41-50
Say what you will about Aaron. He has his own moments of rebellion and failure, of which the golden calf is not least, but in this moment, I am struck by his courage. He shows us something about what a pastor ought to be.
The Lord has finally had enough of the Israelites’ grumbling and determines to destroy them. (You see, when they grumble against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, they grumble against the guidance of God Himself, who directs Moses and Aaron.) I know I probably would have said, “Go to it, Lord! They deserve it!” But when Moses tells his brother to make atonement for the people’s sin, the priest does not hesitate.
It’s right there in verse 47. Aaron “ran into the midst of the assembly.” As fast as he can, Aaron bravely steps between the people and imminent destruction at the hands of a (rightfully) wrathful God. Without regard for his own safety (plagues are contagious!), he acts quickly, doing what he must to deliver the Israelites from the consequences of their rebellion.
In my opinion, Aaron did several things in this one act. First, he showed grace to the people. They deserved what they were about to receive, but he did what was necessary to give them what they did not deserve: continued life. Sounds like someone else I know. (I believe this is what’s known as displaying Godly character!)
Second, he showed that He loved the people. What evidence do I have for this? It is just my opinion, but I find it hard to believe that someone would rush into the midst of a plague-ridden mass of people whom he did not love.
Finally, he showed faith in God’s plan. If he had not believed God’s promise to give the nation of Israel a land of its own, what would have been the purpose of saving them? He shows great trust that God will do what he promised for the descendants of Abraham despite the destruction that occurs here.
Like all of us, Aaron was human, but for at least this moment, he gives us a picture of a true pastor. I pray that all of us – full-time, bi-vocational, paid, volunteer, church staff, or lay-people – who seek to lead the people of God in some capacity would strive to act as Aaron acts here.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Five Books Every Christian Should Read
With my review of Eileen Button's The Waiting Place
earlier this week, this blog is embarking on a new phase that will see a lot more activity and a greater concentration on book reviews.With that in mind, I'm going to share with you five books I've read that I think every Christian should read. (If you're interested, here's my list on Amazon.)
- The Bible
- I know this one probably seems like a cop-out, but too few of us really read the Bible. I struggle with it just like everyone else, but I can say that I read it more consistently now than I ever have before. A few years ago, I prayed that God would give me a greater love for His Word, and He did. (You can read about it here.)
It's the Word of God. It is more important than any other book we'll ever read, and as it shapes us, it shapes the lens through which we read everything else. We should read it in big chunks and study it down to the briefest statement.
I like the NASB because it is a word-for-word translation. The NIV - because it translates ideas more than individual words - is generally easier to read in large sections. - unChristian
by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons - The information in this book may not be news to some people, but for those of us who have grown up in the traditional church culture, it can be world-altering. David Kinnaman of the Barna Group provides in-depth research into the attitudes and reactions of teens and young adults toward the church.
- Crazy Love
by Francis Chan - unChristian was the beginning of a journey for me and several other folks in my life. God had begun to alter my perceptions of faith and the church not long before reading it, and those changed perceptions were solidified upon reading it.
But Crazy Love took it one step further, showing me what I ought to be doing with those new perceptions. It was no longer enough to follow the rules and be part of the institution of the Church. I had to love God with everything, and that love wouldn't make sense to most people. Read my review here. - Forgotten God
by Francis Chan - Yes, it's another Francis Chan book. Yes, I'm a big fan. But this one was the next step on my journey. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live the life God has called us to live. The Holy Spirit does things beyond imagining. We've put Him in a box and written off the miraculous, or - worse - we've forgotten about Him altogether. We neglect Him to our detriment and that of the Church as a whole. Read the review.
- Radical
by David Platt - Pastor of a megachurch in Alabama, Platt challenges us to turn our backs on the American dream and embrace the call of God to go against the culture around us, focusing first on the Kingdom. Though the book has its flaws - it loses some steam in the middle - its premise is powerful, and for me, was the culmination of many things God had been teaching on this literary journey.
Take the time to read these - especially the first! - and you will be challenged. Your perceptions will be altered. And maybe - hopefully - you'll begin to think a little more like Christ.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Review | The Waiting Place | Eileen Button
At times beautifully written and at times full of cliché, The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life’s Little Delays by Eileen Button is a worthwhile read if only for its powerful honesty. Button – an adjunct professor, newspaper columnist, and pastor’s wife – is a competent writer, but she relies a little too much on trite sayings like “too much month left at the end of the money” (pg. 65) that she seems to think are clever.
She also leans too much sometimes toward corny sentimentality – “When we listen closely enough, we think we hear the angels cry.” (pg.121) Button is at her best when she simply tells the stories. These are stories that don’t need sentimental embellishment to bolster their power (good stories rarely do!), and the book falters when she tries to do so.
There’s little that stands out in her writing style, but I found her honesty so courageous that the book’s flaws were forgivable. Indeed, the beauty of The Waiting Place is found in her honesty. Most of us know that church people often expect complete perfection from pastors and their wives, but Button is brave enough to talk about the struggles of a white, formerly middle-class woman who finds herself applying for WIC, a mother suffering through her child’s horrific birth defect, and a pastor’s wife on the receiving end of both the grace and the venom of the church. Some of these struggles are born out of her self-centeredness, and that is what’s so refreshing about The Waiting Place. She is honest about the struggles and about where they come from.
One of my favorite passages is found in chapter 13. Her description of the church is powerful: “She is loving and life changing; she is malicious and overbearing. She is beautiful; she is ugly. She is as light as day, capable of astonishing kindness and generosity; she is as dark as night, capable of unspeakable evil.”
There is not a great deal of theological depth here, all of the stories in The Waiting Place come back to one thing. Eileen Button and her husband had wonderful dreams about where their lives were going and what God would do with them, but it’s never quite looked the way they’d hoped. That is the waiting place – the place where you wait to become. The problem is – as Button discovered and shares with us – that we spend most of our lives in that place. Button tells us that the trick is to find the beauty – the workings of God – in the waiting.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Worship Music Industry | Right or Wrong?
Being a worship leader is one of the best things I've ever done. I love every moment of it. It's a blast, it's a challenge, and it's meaningful. It's right up there with being a husband and father.
Like any position of leadership, it's also fraught with pitfalls, the most obvious of which is the lure of fame. Even in a small church like the one of which my family and I are members, it's easy to feel like you're on a pedestal - even if no one else thinks you are. (That being said, it's also easy for others to put you on a pedestal.) You step onto the stage every Sunday morning with the spotlight shining on you. People complement you, tell you how talented you are, want your attention. It's the great temptation of pride.
It concerns me to see the direction of worship ministry in the church these days. There seems to be such a push to record and distribute nationally or globally the music you're doing at the local church level. It's as though your ministry is not relevant or fruitful unless people on the other side of the country are playing your music on Sunday.
I tried to be a musician for a living. I had a band, which many of you know. We made a go of it for a while and did pretty well for an indie outfit just starting out. Things stalled out after a couple of years, and I believe there were two reasons for this. First, it wasn't what God wanted for me (or the rest of the band - at least not at that point in time). Second, I was completely burned out.
After a very short time, it stopped being about Jesus or about the music. It was about booking the next gig. This is the difficulty of music as business - at some point the art is probably going to give way to the need to put food on the table. I was spending all my time trying to book gigs when I wanted to be writing music and touring. And even the little bit of touring we did wore on me because - even then - I felt that my primary goal was selling my product. I don't have the personality of a salesman.
I believe it's even more dangerous to mix business and worship. At that juncture, you're mixing business with something much more pure and noble than art. How can we possibly combine a pursuit of money with our pursuit of the Living God? How can we respond to Him properly when it's all wrapped up in money?
Think about the state of the music industry now? The economy, digital downloads, piracy have all contributed to the atrophying of CD sale, and the labels are trying every bad idea they can think of to get people to start buying again. Apple finally convinced them to let go of DRM protection. They still want to limit the number of devices you can play your songs on. And those things pale in comparison to what they're actually doing to the music!
Pop music has always been formulaic, but periodically, you would see it changed by the random renegade who gets a record deal. The last time that really happened, though, was in the 90s. Suddenly, the face of pop music changed. Much like the music of the 60s, the grunge bands brought us incomprehensible lyrics (a big no-no in the pop formula) and musical experimentation. Then the post-grunge bands rode that momentum and created pop-rock songs with intelligent lyrics that people could relate to.
These days, bands are slavishly shackled to the formula - lowest common denominator lyrics, overly simplified music. The labels are afraid that's the only way they can sell music!
That industry is the industry that is now shaping our worship music. That formula - a formula invented by people whose goal is to make money - is being applied to the way we worship God.
Worship leaders started gaining a national stage via the music industry years ago. Now, we're seeking it. We've created a worship music industry. I have a hard time making that fit with what I know of God and Scripture, primarily because of the way the music industry in general works. Being successful in the music industry requires selling yourself - telling everyone how great you are - and that is entirely antithetical to the teachings of Christ. (Yes, I believe there is a difference between you telling everyone how great you are and your agent or manager telling everyone how great you are. However, I also believe that's a gray area that requires further thought.)
Since when is it right for a worship leader to tell everyone how great his music is? How does a church justify marketing its worship ministry?
And honestly, this isn't limited to music. We see it with pastors. We see it in the focus of the mainstream church on so called "evangelism" that exists only to make our institutions larger. We are attempting to define the success of ourselves, our ministries, our churches by worldly measures.
I'm not saying that it cannot ever be right for a worship leader or a church's worship band to record an album or sign a record deal. But I'm not entirely uncomfortable with saying it's wrong. I believe it's tricky terrain to navigate, and we must be much more careful than we have been up to now.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Osama bin Laden | Celebrating Death?
Osama bin Laden is dead. That’s the big news this morning.
I believe justice has been done. I believe he deserved what he got. I believe this creates closure for a lot of people whose loved ones were murdered by this man.
I also believe that this is not something to celebrate. As a friend of mine pointed out this morning, God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11) This morning another wicked man is in hell. His death does nothing to reverse the horrible fate of the 3,000 people he murdered on September 11, 2001.
Only once in history has the death of one man reversed the horrible fate of others. That man was Jesus Christ. He – the Son of God – died on the cross because God loves all the world. Jesus died for you, for me, and for Osama bin Laden.
Let’s be thankful that justice has been served today but be mindful of the fact that, without faith in Christ, we deserve no better fate than bin Laden.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Favorite Christmas Songs, Albums
- Favorite Traditional Christmas Song: "O, Holy Night"
- Yes, every artist has to record it, and somebody at church has to sing it every year, but there's a reason for that! The song remains beautiful - one of the best worship songs ever written!
- Favorite Modern Christmas Song: "Born to Die"
by Bebo Norman - A beautiful, moving pop song. It captures the truth of the season in a way that's hard to do in under four minutes.
- Favorite Novelty Christmas Song: "'Zat You, Santa Claus?
by Louis Armstrong - Let's be honest. This is much closer to how we would actually react if some dude showed up at our houses on Christmas Eve. Plus, the song is just plain fun.
- Favorite Reworking of a Classic Christmas Song: "Jingle Bells"
by James Taylor - "Jingle Bells" as blues! Brilliant!
Favorite Christmas Albums:
- Christmas... From the Realms of Glory
by Bebo Norman - Songs we know, and some we don't. Some are done in the Bebo Norman style CCM listeners have to come to know. Most are done in a style much more reminiscent of his indie music: simple instrumentation - acoustic guitar, piano, melodica, hammer dulcimer. It's a warm, folksy, introspective, beautiful album. Plus, the brave inclusion of Jackson Browne's "The Rebel Jesus." Highlights: "Born to Die," "Come and Worship," "The Rebel Jesus"
- Christmas
by Michael W. Smith - Remember when Michael W. Smith used to be a songwriter? This album is odd for 80s CCM. It's a high-church, classical Christmas album with a couple of classic Smitty touches, and it's pretty flippin' amazing. Of course, he had to to include the radio-friendly "Gloria," a pop rendition of "Angels We Have Heard on High." Highlights: "First Snowfall," "All Is Well," "Gloria"
- Home for Christmas
by Amy Grant - I am not, nor have I ever been, an Amy Grant fan, but I love this album. I even went to one of her Christmas concerts years ago. There are a couple of blemishes ("Grown Up Christmas List" and her insistence on singing along with the choir on Handel's "For Unto Us a Child is Born"), but there are so many classic renditions of so many classic Christmas songs, if you don't like it, you have no Christmas spirit! Highlights: "Breath of Heaven," "The Night Before Christmas," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
by Michael W. Smith, Music of Christmas
by Steven Curtis ChapmanWorst Christmas Song Ever: "Grown Up Christmas List" - I do not need to defend this choice.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Introverts in Ministry?
Here's an unofficial poll. I'd like your comments. I'll respond via blog later.
Unofficial Poll: In your opinion, can an introvert be effective in ministry and remain an introvert?
Let me clarify a couple of things.
1) I'm speaking of a real introvert - someone who processes internally rather than externally, someone who draws their energy from solitude and/or being with a small group of close friends or family. Not someone who has low self-esteem.
2) I'm speaking of pastoral staff ministry.
Friday, September 24, 2010
A Good, Good God
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"
And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!"
But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
"As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
"But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year."
Genesis 17:17-21 (NASB)
As I was reading through Genesis 17, I was struck deeply by this passage.
God made Abram and promise, one that Abram and Sarai almost immediately sought to fulfill on their own rather than trust God. Their action resulted in the birth of Abram’s son Ishmael, and the tension – to put it mildly – between the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac continues to this day.
God answers Abram’s act of faithlessness with… a covenant. It’s like He’s saying, "You didn’t believe me, but I’m serious!"
God changes his name, spells out the blessing, then Abraham responds with… laughter! He absolutely does not believe that God can or will do what He’s promising. "Oh," he pleads, "that Ishmael might live before You!"
At this point, if I’m God, I'm thinking, "Forget you pal. I’ll just wipe you and your family off the face of the earth and start over with somebody else." Thankfully, I’m not Him.
Look at verse 20: "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him…"
I am overwhelmed by the goodness of my God. He chooses Abraham and holds onto him through all his failings and faithless acts and sin. He blesses the child of that sin. And he blesses the sinner.
Just as God blessed Abraham and his sons – all of whom were as undeserving as we are – God blesses me daily. And he blesses you.
Our God is so good!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A Big 2010 - Houses Sold, Debts Paid
2010 has been a big year for the Kossum family, so I wanted to share with you some of the ways God has been blessing us.
First, as some of you know, Kacy, Emma, and I moved back to Houston from Florida in 2008 after living there for about 4 years. We bought a house in Orange Park, Florida in late 2005. We knew God was calling us back to Texas and put the house on the market in late 2007 - a short 2 years later. It was only a couple of months before the nation's housing market began to collapse, and Florida has been one of the hardest hit states.
So, our house has been on the market almost three years. Finally today we got word from our realtor that the mortgage company has accepted the most recent short sale offer. It's not technically official, but it looks like the house is sold, removing a HUGE burden from our shoulders.
Thank you God!
In my opinion, an even bigger one happened in July. We were discussing - with some friends and fellow members of Magnolia Creek Baptist Church - how the Bible tells us the church ought to be. That we ought to be meeting one another's needs. It's easy to point the finger at people who don't ever help anyone else, but we also made note of the fact that, in our hyper-self-sufficient suburban American culture, nobody wants to admit when they're in need.
So, inevitably, someone said, "Who has a need? Let's talk about it." I immediately thought, "Well, we've got a huge one, but nobody could help with that! And they probably shouldn't." But I couldn't shake the feeling that God was pushing me to talk about it.
So, I told our friends how, in our poor musician days in Florida, we got in over our heads financially and incurred a lot of credit card debt. Even now, it's hard to admit that, but there it is.
I told them how, when we came back to Houston and were earning enough money, we decided that God's will for our family was to pay off that debt as quickly as possible so that Kacy could leave her job and stay home with our daughter. However, it soon became apparent that we wouldn't be able pay it all off before Emma started kindergarten.
So, our friends basically said, "We've got more money than we know what to do with." In the name of Christ, they wrote us a HUGE check, and we paid off that debt. Kacy will be leaving her job at the end of October.
Praise be to God, who paid our debt and inspired us to pay the debts of others.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Celebrating Toy Story 3
I don't usually post stuff like this here, but I couldn't help it. I'm a big fan of Pixar, and in honor of this weekend's release of Toy Story 3, I thought I'd post the short that started it all: "Tin Toy."
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
New Song | Shining Down
Check out my brand new song, "Shining Down," on YouTube and leave a comment here or on the 'Tube to let me know what you think!
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